PHOENIX – LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – Robert Wayne Kuenzli, 43, of Phoenix, was sentenced here today by U.S. District Court Judge Neil V. Wake to 41 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for one count of possession of child pornography. Kuenzli was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to successfully complete a sex offender treatment program. He was immediately remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin his sentence.
Kuenzli was arrested on November 3, 2006 by federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was indicted by a federal grand jury for receipt and possession of child pornography. On April 24, 2007, Kuenzli pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The charge of receipt of child pornography was dismissed at sentencing.
According to the criminal complaint, ICE agents had received information from Canadian authorities that an individual using the Internet Protocol (IP) address at Kuenzli’s residence could be involved with the sexual exploitation of children. When ICE agents conducted a consent search of his residence, numerous images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct were discovered on his computer hard drive.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Q. Kirby, who prosecuted the case, stated of the sentencing, “Child pornographers can be anyone and anywhere through the use of Internet but they will eventually be caught. My thanks to the Canadian authorities and ICE for the investigation that resulted in this conviction.”
Special Agent in Charge of ICE Office of Investigations Alonzo R. Pena stated, “The successful prosecution of Kuenzli reflects the positive benefit that can be achieved through cooperative efforts of law enforcement in both Canada and the U.S. However, it also indicates that the Internet has created a very far reaching international market for child exploitation.”
According to the Phoenix Fire Department, Kuenzli was a probationary firefighter for approximately 10 months and is no longer employed with the Phoenix Fire Department. Prior to his employment with the Phoenix Fire Department, Kuenzli was employed for 16 years with the Kingman Fire Department.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Saskatoon Police in Canada. The prosecution was handled by Vincent Q. Kirby, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-06-1035-PHX
RELEASE NUMBER: 2007-190(Kuenzli)
