A1C receives dishonorable discharge, 4 years confinement for child pornography, marijuana use Published April 22, 2009 By Capt. Zachary Augustine 28th Bomb Wing legal office ELLSWORTH AFB, S.D. -- A 28th Munitions Squadron airman first class pled guilty during a court martial here April 9. Airman 1st Class Chad Schroeder was charged with using marijuana and receiving, possessing, transporting and distributing child pornography. According to the court's findings, Airman Schroeder started downloading child pornography in 2006 while he was stationed at Royal Air Force Fairford, England. While overseas, Airman Schroeder also distributed child pornography to an individual he met in a chat room. In early 2008, he received orders to Ellsworth and brought his collection of child pornography with him. In May 2008, the Office of Special Investigations Detachment 226, here, learned of Airman Schroeder's misconduct. A panel of six officer members sentenced Airman Schroeder to a dishonorable discharge, four-years confinement, reduction to E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a reprimand. Child pornography is a worldwide problem in today's society, said Lt. Col. Edward Lucas, 28th Bomb Wing staff judge advocate. "It may be easy for some people to rationalize the possession and distribution of child pornography by arguing that they are merely looking at it in the privacy of their own home," he said. "Unfortunately, these people don't realize they are contributing to the demand side of the economic equation that drives the creation of child pornography in the first place. They also don't realize that any files they pass along will always be out there on the web; the children in those images will always have to live with the knowledge that they are continuously being exploited on the Internet." According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, child pornography is a multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise and is among the fastest growing businesses on the internet, with an estimated 100,000 active child pornography websites. Special Agent Ryan Schurman, AFOSI Detachment 226 investigator said the good news is several federal agencies, including OSI, are cracking down on those who download child pornography. "In today's electronic society, it isn't hard to find out who is downloading child pornography; everything you do with your computer leaves a permanent electronic record," Special Agent Schurman said. "Hopefully, through continued efforts of the various federal agencies the Air Force will be able to do its part to help decrease the global demand for child pornography." The Air Force corrections system will determine where Airman Schroeder will serve out his sentence.