Orlando Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Distributing Child Sex Abuse Material

Convicted Child Sex Abuser Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison

Orlando, FL – Sean Calvin Ellixson, a 30-year-old man from Orlando, has been sentenced to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for distributing child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Ellixson to forfeit digital media devices used during the commission of the offense.

Ellixson entered a guilty plea on February 6, 2024, in connection with the charges of distributing child sex abuse material. The guilty plea and subsequent sentencing mark a significant victory for law enforcement agencies working to combat child sex abuse.

According to court documents, on September 10, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Orlando received information regarding online communications between an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl in an online chatroom and Ellixson. Ellixson contacted the individual he believed to be a 13-year-old and engaged in sexually explicit conversation with that person over the course of several days.

During the conversations, Ellixson sent three videos of child sex abuse material. On September 11, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Ellixson’s residence. During the search, Ellixson agreed to speak with investigators and stated he had two cellphones and confirmed that the phone number used to communicate with the undercover agent belonged to him.

Ellixson admitted to having child sex abuse material on the phone and showed law enforcement where it was located. Ellixson further stated that he had been talking to various people he believed were minor children to receive child sex abuse material. He also stated that he had attempted to purchase child sex abuse material by purchasing a gift card and sending it to an unidentified individual.

“The sentencing of Sean Ellixson serves as a stark reminder that HSI will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our children from exploitation and abuse,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This outcome, achieved through the dedicated efforts of HSI Orlando and our law enforcement partners with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, underscores our unwavering resolve to hold perpetrators of child exploitation accountable for their actions and to ensure justice for their victims.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sex exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.