A former Japan-based U.S. Navy seaman has been sentenced for possessing child pornography.

James Driver, 24, of Midland, Mich., was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to five years in prison and five years of supervised release following his May 21 conviction on one count of possessing child pornography, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement.

Following his release from prison, Driver must register as a sex offender.

The case originated from a Naval Criminal Investigative Service probe into an individual using a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to possess and distribute child pornography, the statement said. That person was later identified by investigators as Driver.

Investigators said Driver admitted he had been interested in child pornography for five years, the statement said. He was convicted after a four-day jury trial.

The case was brought forth under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, the statement said. The initiative was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information on the program, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

From staff reports

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