PEARLAND, Texas A Pearland man was sentenced to12 yearsin prison Tuesday for attempting to distribute child pornography, U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno said.
William Scott Nelson, 63, pleaded guilty to the crime in December of 2010.
The investigation into Nelson s activities began in 2009 and involved the Texas City Office of the FBI, Pearland Police Department, Houston Police Department and Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Investigators focused on Nelson after an officer noticed a computer that was sharing 74 files online, most of which appeared to be child pornography.
The computer was linked to Nelson, and a search warrant was executed at his Pearland home on August 5, 2009.
During the search, officers found a computer, hard drives, a digital camera and magazines that contained photos of nude children.
Nelson admitted to Pearland police that he was a nudist and that he didn t think nude photos of children were wrong.
Nelson also admitted to searching for child porn online and collecting it over a period of many years, police said.
After completing his prison term, Nelson will be required to register as a sex offender and will be on probation for life.
