Steven Petlak Gets 8 Years for Child Porn Distribution

Steven Petlak, 53, of West Los Angeles, is headed to federal prison for 96 months after being sentenced on one count of distributing child pornography. The former teacher’s assistant admitted to using peer-to-peer file-sharing software to trade graphic images of child molestation, some depicting victims under the age of 15 and classified as “sadistic” under federal guidelines.

U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald handed down the sentence, emphasizing the severity of Petlak’s crimes and the lasting threat he poses. Following his prison term, Petlak will remain under court-ordered supervised release for the rest of his life—a rare and severe measure reflecting the federal system’s hard line on repeat and high-risk sex offenders.

Petlak pleaded guilty in July, acknowledging in court filings that he actively sought out what he described as “the really dark stuff”—the most extreme forms of child sexual abuse imagery available online. His deliberate targeting of the worst possible material factored heavily into both the prosecution’s case and the judge’s sentencing decision.

The case took a disturbing turn while Petlak was on pretrial release. Law enforcement caught him viewing what appeared to be graphic images of a juvenile female—proof, prosecutors argued, that he hadn’t ceased his predatory behavior even after arrest. That violation underscored the depth of his obsession and sealed the narrative of a man unwilling to disengage from criminal conduct.

“Predators who seek out child pornography online threaten the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable in our real-world community,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “This defendant’s conduct exemplifies a horrific and dark part of our society.” Decker called the sentence a necessary response to the damage caused by those who traffic in such vile material.

After completing his sentence, Petlak will be required to register as a sex offender, avoid locations where children congregate, and remain under federal supervision indefinitely. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema M. El-Amamy prosecuting the case for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section.