Baton Rouge Reporter

David John Ballance, a 58-year-old resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles delivered the sentence following Ballance's conviction. In addition to his prison term, Ballance will undergo five years of supervised release and must pay $3,000 in restitution. He is also required to register as a sex offender upon release.

Ballance admitted that he began communicating with a 13-year-old minor from the Middle District of Louisiana in July 2021. Using an online gaming application and later a social media platform, he falsely claimed to be 23 years old and used a fake name while engaging with the minor. During this period, he was aware that the individual was under 16 years old.

From July to October 2021, Ballance introduced intimate language into their conversations and sent explicit images. The minor reciprocated by sending explicit images of themselves through an app designed for temporary image visibility. Despite this feature, Ballance managed to capture these images before they disappeared.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation into this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese prosecuted.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims effectively.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.