Cass County registered sex offender sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child pornography violations

TEXARKANA, Texas - An Atlanta, Texas man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

JC Herndon, 86, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III on October 8, 2026.

According to information presented in court, on May 6, 2025, law enforcement officers with the Cass County Sheriff's Office and Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division executed a search warrant at Herndon's residence located in Atlanta, Texas. As part of the search, officers seized a cell phone, which was found to contain numerous photos and videos depicting child pornography. Many of those images depicted prepubescent children. Herndon admitted to downloading and viewing images of child pornography on his phone. Herndon is a registered sex offender who was on probation when he was found to be in possession of the child pornography.

This case is 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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Cass County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.

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