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Kansas City, MO – Steven Michael George, 45, of Belton, Missouri, is headed to federal prison for three decades. U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough handed down the 360-month sentence today after George admitted to distributing child pornography through a peer-to-peer file-sharing network between March and July of last year.
The feds didn’t just catch George sharing sick images online. Investigators found a stockpile of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his devices. The sentencing was harsher than usual due to George’s lengthy history – prior Missouri convictions for first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation, and prior possession of child pornography already on his record.
Beyond the prison term, George has been ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images and videos. He’ll also be required to register as a sex offender for life, facing both federal and state oversight upon his eventual release.
The case was a joint effort between the FBI and the Kansas City Police Department, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It falls under the umbrella of “Project Safe Childhood,” a nationwide DOJ initiative targeting child sexual exploitation.