United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announced to local Historic City News reporters that 64 year-old Andrew J. Hitas, Jr. who resides in Palm Coast, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville on child pornography charges.
Hitas is charged with two counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
On each of the receipt counts, Hitas faces a mandatory minimum of not less than 5 years and up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On the possession count, Hitas is subject to up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Hitas was arrested at his residence in Palm Coast on October 26, 2011.
An arraignment and detention hearing for Hitas is scheduled for October 31, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News facebook archive
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