THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220131
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: METRO BRIEFS
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
A Chesapeake man who pleaded guilty in federal court in December to two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison.
In November, a federal grand jury indicted Howard C. Guthrie for receipt of materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors and possession of such materials. He was arrested as the result of a nationwide sting operation, testimony showed.
In June 1994, U.S. postal inspectors in San Diego searched the offices of Overseas Mail, a mail-order business specializing in videos of boys, ages 7 to 15, engaged in sexual acts. They seized a mailing list with the names of 300 to 400 customers, including Guthrie, authorities said.
Federal agents wrote letters to people on the mailing list, saying that the business had changed hands and was now called Island Mail, testimony showed. Guthrie was arrested after sending a $213 check for two videos of boys, ages 6 to 15, engaged in sex, testimony showed.
KEYWORDS: SENTENCING CHILD PORNAGRAPHY by CNB