Templeton man convicted for possessing child pornography
Search of computer revealed more than 40 videos depicting explicit child pornography
– San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced this week that a San Luis Obispo County jury convicted Templeton resident Jeffrey Paul Gentile, 35, of possession of child pornography after a week-long trial. The jury also found true that Gentile possessed at least 600 images of child pornography, with at least 10 of those images depicting prepubescent children under the age of 12.
On March 1, 2015, Arroyo Grande Police Department Detective Jim Jolly, while assigned as a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, received evidence that a particular computer was sharing child pornography with other computers over the internet. Detective Jolly’s investigation traced the computer’s internet protocol (IP) address to Gentile’s residence in Templeton.
Due to the geographic location of the offending computer, the investigation was turned over to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. A search warrant for the residence was authorized resulting in the seizure of Gentile’s computer. A forensic search of that computer revealed more than 40 videos depicting explicit child pornography, the equivalent of more than 2,100 images of child pornography.
“Child pornography is exploitation that causes immeasurable harm to its victims when the material is created, and again each and every time it is viewed by another person,” said Dow. “Individuals who possess child pornography fuel the demand for this despicable product and perpetuate the exploitation of children. Many child molesters possess child pornography, and they often use it to desensitize their targeted victims. Our office is committed to the aggressive prosecution of these individuals and to hold them accountable.”
Gentile is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14, in Department 1 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, the Honorable Jacquelyn Duffy presiding. Gentile faces a maximum term of five years in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and the Arroyo Grande Police Department with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Office Central Coast Cyber Forensic Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Danielle Baker who is assigned to the District Attorney’s Sexual Violence and Child Abuse Unit.
