Name: Ryan Scott Nichols Age: 23 School: Colonial Elementary School, 3800 Schoolhouse Road East Ft. Myers, Florida 33916 Position: Teacher's aide US Attorneys Office Middle District of Florida Press Release: Fort Myers Man Arrested for Distributing Child Pornography FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2 , 2011 Fort Myers, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Ryan Scott Nichols (23, Fort Myers) with distribution of child pornography. If convicted, Nichols faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, 2011 in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers. According to the criminal complaint, on October 17, 2011, in Lee County, Florida, Nichols knowingly distributed child pornography over the internet. A criminal complaint is merely a charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and click on the tab "other resources." Wink News (2 Dec 2011): Ft. Myers man arrested for distribution of child pornography Wink News (7 Dec 2011): Lee Co. teacher's aide charged with distributing child porn