Ralston Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Travis J. Bodfield, 28, of Ralston, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 26, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for receipt and distribution of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Bodfield to 211 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bodfield's release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Bodfield to pay $28,000 in restitution.

On March 8, 2022, Ralston police executed a search warrant at Bodfield's residence in Ralston after receiving an earlier report regarding an ongoing domestic disturbance involving Bodfield and a minor. During search of the residence, law enforcement recovered Bodfield's phones. Forensic examination and analysis of Bodfield's phones found more than 2,400 pictures and 40 videos depicting child pornography. The approximate age range of the minor children were of infant through 12 years old.

Additional review of the cellphone uncovered conversations between Bodfield and other users of Kik, a communication application, engaging in communications that included the exchange of child pornography. During one of the Kik conversations, Bodfield sent a picture of a partially nude, prepubescent female, also about 8-10 years old.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by <_w3a_sdt docpart="F731EC7B10F04015A695505596FFDE15" dropdown="t" id="1639759743" sdttag="Agency" title="Agency"><_w3a_listitem datavalue="[CHOOSE AN AGENCY]" listvalue="[CHOOSE AN AGENCY]"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. " listvalue="the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. "> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Drug Enforcement Administration." listvalue="the Drug Enforcement Administration."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Federal Bureau of Investigation." listvalue="the Federal Bureau of Investigation."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Department of Homeland Security." listvalue="the Department of Homeland Security."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="Homeland Security Investigations." listvalue="Homeland Security Investigations."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="Immigration and Customs Enforcement." listvalue="Immigration and Customs Enforcement."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Internal Revenue Service." listvalue="the Internal Revenue Service."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="IRS Criminal Investigations." listvalue="IRS Criminal Investigations."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force. " listvalue="the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force. "> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Lincoln Police Department." listvalue="the Lincoln Police Department."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Nebraska State Patrol." listvalue="the Nebraska State Patrol."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force" listvalue="the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Omaha Police Department." listvalue="the Omaha Police Department."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the Postal Inspection Service." listvalue="the Postal Inspection Service."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="the U.S. Secret Service." listvalue="the U.S. Secret Service."> the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Ralston Police Department.