LUBBOCK, Texas — A retired San Angelo Police Department officer was sentenced to a term of 420 months (35 years) in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton, announced the sentence Thursday.
62-year-old Ricky Lynn Keeling was indicted in March 2023, and pleaded guilty to three of four counts of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor May 25, 2023. He was sentenced Thursday, Sept. 21, by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. The judge also ordered Keeling to pay a $15,000 assessment for the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and a $51,000 assessment for the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
“Crimes involving child pornography are some of the most serious that the Department of Justice prosecutes,” Simonton said. “For a former law enforcement officer to possess child pornography is more than shocking—it is despicable. Our office will not let such crimes against children happen without repercussion.”
“We swear an oath to protect and serve and the sentence imposed today will ensure the community that no matter who you are, you will be held accountable for your actions,” HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Lester R. Hayes Jr., said. “HSI Dallas will never relent in our pursuit to protect children from predators.”
"The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated and our agency's commitment to the safety of our community remains unwavering. Crimes perpetrated against children are of the most serious in nature and cannot be tolerated. As soon as we became aware of these disturbing allegations against retired San Angelo Police Officer Rick Keeling, we immediately referred the matter to the Tom Green County Sherriff's Office and the Department of Homeland Security for investigation,” San Angelo Police Chief Frank Carter said in the release.
According to plea documents, Keeling’s roommate inadvertently found child pornography on Keeling’s computer. The roommate reported the discovery to law enforcement and that started an investigation. Keeling admitted to officers he searched for prepubescent material up to three times a week and had been looking at child pornography since 2005.
Homeland Security Investigations’ San Angelo Field Office and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with support from the SAPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not yet have a listing for where Keeling will be incarcerated.