FORT WORTH, TX – A Fort Worth man who videotaped the sexual assault of an infant was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, the statutory maximum, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Chester Devin Leban, 34, pleaded guilty in January to sexual exploitation of a child. He was sentenced last Tuesday before Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.
In July 2018, the Fort Worth Police Department was dispatched to a domestic disturbance call where officers met with Mr. Leban’s estranged wife. She notified law enforcement of the presence of child [censored]ography on Mr. Leban’s cell phone.
When questioned by detectives, Mr. Leban admitted to using his cell phone to record a sexually explicit encounter between an adult female, Emily Conner, and a 5-month-old infant.
Ms. Conner pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in connection with this case. Following their sentences, both defendants are ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release.
The Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem.
This case was brought as part ofProject Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative organizes federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.