Las Vegas illusionist gets 20-year prison term in child porn case

Here is a story that might have some relevance to Keith Raniere’s case.

According to reports in the Las Vegas Review Journal, Las Vegas Strip illusionist Jan Rouven [Jan Rouven Fuechtener], 41, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possessing, receiving and distributing thousands of videos and images of child pornography.

“In this courtroom, at least, the show is over,” said U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro during the sentencing.  The judge also imposed a $500,000 fine, which will go to an estimated 100 victims.

Moments after the judge handed down the sentence, Rouven fainted and fell backward onto the floor. His lawyers and courtroom marshals helped him to his feet.  He took a sip of water and told the judge he was OK.

Prior to taking a plea deal, Rouven went to trial in 2016.  During opening statements, prosecutors said investigators found more than 9,000 videos containing child pornography on devices scattered around Rouven’s property.

Rouven later disputed the figures, saying some of the images were duplicates.

During the trial, Rouven’s attorneys cut a deal with prosecutors. He was facing up to 80 years.

His plea could have gotten him a maximum 30 years behind bars.  The minimum possible prison time was 5 years.

Rouven is a German citizen and is expected to be deported after he serves his prison term.

Rouven’s manager-husband, Frank Dietmar Alfter, was named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the case.  Alfter has left the United States.

Rouven was preforming at the Tropicana Las Vegas at the time of his arrest.

The investigation of Rouven began in August 2015 when an undercover FBI agent from Buffalo, New York, infiltrated a computer file-sharing network dealing in child pornography.

Investigators found images and videos featuring juveniles, adults and animals — on devices in Rouven’s backyard casita, his pool deck, kitchen and bedrooms.

Though he pleaded guilty in late 2016, Rouven attempted to withdraw his plea, and fired and hired various attorneys.  He claimed his lawyers did not explain the possible length of the sentence.

None of that worked out for the perv magician. Away he went and for the better part of the next two decades, he is likely to remain. Since he is a sex offender, he might wind up meeting the great Vanguard – who, if convicted, may be housed in the same federal prison in the sex offenders unit.

Of course, Raniere did more than merely collect pictures. He did the actual deeds to little girls.

While Raniere has been charged with sex trafficking, it remains unclear if he will ever be charged for the numerous rapes of underage girls he committed over his 30 plus year reign of sexual terror.

Jan Rouven is not the world’s smartest man.

Keith Raniere, speaking with fellow alleged sex trafficker Allison Mack, has said he is the world’s smartest man. His claim is based on a take-home IQ test he took in 1989 – about the same time he was raping 12-year-old Rhiannon.