Christopher Paul Cashman pleaded guilty to the felony charges of Possession of Child Pornography and Forgery of a Government Instrument on November 29, 2017. The 42 year-old Pecan Grove man then accepted 6 years in prison in an agreement with prosecutors. According to Assistant District Attorney Katie Peterson, Fort Bend County District Attorney Investigator Bruce Moats was alerted via undercover investigative software that an individual in Fort Bend County was downloading images of child pornography. After further investigation, a search warrant was obtained for the suspect’s residence in Pecan Grove. Upon execution of the search warrant in September 2015, Christopher Cashman was found to be in possession of multiple videos of child pornography.
While on bond for the above charge, Cashman forged receipts that purported to be from Fort Bend County Pretrial Services. The falsified receipts showed that Cashman had paid his bond supervision fees, which were in fact not paid, and which formed the basis for the additional forgery charge.
The child pornography investigation was a collaborative effort by the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, including: the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri City Police Department, and the Needville Police Department.
“This case highlights the importance of undercover internet investigations and reminds us that a child predator can live anywhere,” said Peterson. “Law enforcement must remain ever vigilant and proactive to protect our most valuable resource, our children.”
Cashman pleaded guilty in the 434th District Court before Presiding Judge James Shoemake. Possession of Child Pornography and Forgery in this case are both third-degree felonies, punishable by 2-10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. The defendant was probation eligible.
Assistant District Attorneys Katie Peterson and Michael L. Hartman prosecuted the case. Attorney George Parnham represented the defendant.