Neosho businessman's sentencing on child porn charge delayed

U. S. District Court Judge Beth Phillips canceled the sentencing hearing for Neosho businessman Blake Altman, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, May 4, in Springfield.

No date has been set for the hearing.

Altman's attorney, Dee Wampler, asked for a delay of 45 to 60 days to give him time to "accumulate documents" and scheduled expert witnesses.

Altman pleaded guilty January 4 in federal court in Springfield, admitting that he received and distributed child pornography between August 14, 2014, and October 1, 2014.

From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri's news release:

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Altman’s residence after he was identified in an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography via peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Undercover officers downloaded images and videos of child pornography from Altman’s computer. Officers seized Altman’s laptop computer, which contained images and videos of child pornography.

Under federal statutes, Altman is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole.