Montgomery County Resident Sentenced for Possession of Inappropriate Children's Content | Texas

Houston, TX — A 39-year-old Montgomery County resident, James Aubrey Zachary Wasson, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography, according to United States Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Wasson pleaded guilty on September 27, 2023, and has now been sentenced by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks to concurrent prison terms of 360 months and 120 months for the sexual exploitation and production convictions, respectively. During the hearing, the court heard a statement from the victim's mother regarding the nightmares her child suffered as a result of Wasson's actions. The judge noted that the sentence was “life-changing for a reason,” recognizing the lasting impact on the victim’s life.

The court rejected Wasson's claim that his exploitation of the child was the result of drug addiction, stating that drug abuse did not justify preying on children. In addition to his prison sentence, Wasson was ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution to several victims and will serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. During this time, he will be subject to numerous restrictions limiting his access to children and the Internet, and he will be required to register as a sex offender.

“Wasson shattered a little girl’s life,” Hamdani said. “Today’s sentence cannot give her back the life she should have had, but it ensures that Wasson will not be able to hurt other children for a very long time.”

Authorities identified Wasson after finding more than 500 files of child pornography he downloaded between March 2019 and March 2021. A search of his cellphone confirmed it was the device used to produce sexually explicit photographs explicit, and the minor victim also identified Wasson and remembered when he took the photos.

Wasson will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Bauman as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.