A Fayetteville man, John Steven Wallace, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for the attempted production of child pornography. The sentencing took place on January 15, 2025, with Judge Timothy L. Brooks presiding over the hearing at the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
The investigation began in November 2023 when the Benton County Sheriff’s Office conducted an online child pornography probe. This led to the discovery that a residence in Fayetteville was involved in downloading such material. The case was then handed over to the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. A search warrant executed by ICAC and the Fayetteville Police Department resulted in Wallace's admission of downloading child pornography via a peer-to-peer network.
Wallace further confessed to producing images and videos of a minor using a hidden camera in his bathroom. Forensic examination confirmed he had a substantial collection of child pornography, including videos of the identified minor.
In May 2024, Wallace was indicted by a Grand Jury and pleaded guilty in September 2024.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes announced the sentencing, crediting the investigation to the ICAC Task Force, Fayetteville Police Department, and Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.