Edward Charles Lynch, a 76-year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. The sentencing took place on December 19, 2024, with United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher presiding over the case. Following his prison term, Lynch will be subjected to an eight-year supervised release period. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay $114,000 in restitution and $7,600 in special assessments.
The investigation into Lynch began on June 16, 2022, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information from Microsoft Bing Image - Online Operations regarding images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct uploaded by a user. Law enforcement traced the IP address linked to these uploads back to Lynch's residence in Omaha.
A search warrant was executed at Lynch's home on October 19, 2022. Authorities seized a computer belonging to him which contained 443,731 images of minors involved in sexually explicit activities.
Lynch had previously been convicted on or around November 1, 1996, for Sexual Assault of a Child in Sarpy County, Nebraska.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood. This initiative aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse and was launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. It involves collaboration between United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) along with federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigation was conducted by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.