Phillip Haven Sanchez - Producing Child Porn, gets 30 years

Phillip Haven Sanchez was sentenced on Thursday to 30 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays, according to a news release from Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Laurenzi of the Western District of Tennessee.

Sanchez, 40, of Martin, was indicted in February 2006 and charged with engaging in sexual activity with a female minor for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such activity, the release said.

In April 2008, Sanchez was found guilty by a federal jury as charged in the indictment.

The case was investigated by the Martin Police Department and by member agencies of the Memphis Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force includes the FBI, ICE, Shelby County Sheriff's Office and Memphis Police Department, the release said.

Launched in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute people who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.