United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

NEW LONDON MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENDALL LUDINGTON, JR., age 64, of New London, Connecticut, was sentenced today to the mandatory minimum term of 10 years' imprisonment, following his second conviction in 10 years, for possession of child pornography. LUDINGTON was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Alfred V. Covello in U.S. District Court in Hartford. Judge Covello also sentenced LUDINGTON to a three-year term of supervised release, to begin when the 10-year period of incarceration is concluded.

The Court denied the Government's motion to sentence the defendant to a life term of supervised release. However, the Court granted the Government's motion that LUDINGTON be subject to a series of special conditions once he is eventually released. Those conditions require the defendant to appear on the State of Connecticut's sex-offender registry when he is eventually released. LUDINGTON will also be prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of eighteen, and he will be barred from frequenting areas where children are to be found, such as schools and playgrounds.

LUDINGTON had possessed more than 12,000 images of child pornography, including several movie or video files. The images were found on LUDINGTON'S computer by New London Police who executed a search warrant at LUDINGTON's home on September 11, 2003. He was subsequently arrested by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on October 17, 2003. LUDINGTON pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on November 3, 2003.

According to statements made by the Government in court today, LUDINGTON had admitted to investigators that he had sexually abused a number of children over the years.

LUDINGTON was previously convicted on federal charges of importing and possessing child pornography in 1994, and was subsequently sentenced by Judge Covello to a five-year term of probation. LUDINGTON has admitted that he is unable to control himself and stated to investigators that "people like me are very crafty and skillful in seducing children."

"The combined efforts of federal and local law enforcement have removed another internet predator from the streets," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "We will continue to work diligently to protect children from harm."

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the New London Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kari A. Dooley prosecuted the case.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov