An Evansville man is facing 30 years in prison for the production of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney for Wyoming.
James Wayne Luce, 29, pleaded guilty to a charge of producing child pornography during a change of plea hearing on Feb. 1 in U.S. District Court. His sentencing will take place April 25.
Luce was initially charged with the production, possession and transportation of child pornography, according to court documents. He would have faced up to 70 years in prison if found guilty of all charges.
According to court documents, officers were contacted on Oct. 31, 2020, by a person who found a phone in a vehicle Luce had been driving. When the person looked at the phone, they saw photos of a naked girl, around two or three years old.
A search warrant was obtained for the phone, and the search revealed photos contained in the Google Drive application of an adult male’s hand abusing a female child. The man’s hand had distinct characteristics, such as a particular wedding-type ring and freckles.
The Google Photos application was tied to an email account that was later determined to be Luce’s. The account contained 51 photos and three videos of child pornography.
Investigators also determined that the man abusing the child in the video was Luce, after observing photos of him and examining his hand.
It was also found that Luce produced the images and videos around Sept. 6, 2020. He was in Riverton around that time.
Luce was arrested on Dec. 20, 2020, in Casper after being charged by complaint. He was later indicted by a federal grand jury.
