Andrew Craig Sustaita, Child Pornography, Texas 2018

A former Harris County deputy has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for producing and possessing child pornography.

Andrew Craig Sustaita, 31, of Spring, was convicted of producing and possessing child pornography in March 2018. He was a Harris County deputy sheriff at the time of the offense, but is no longer employed there.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake sentenced Sustaita to 240 months for the production conviction and 87 months for the possession conviction. The sentences will run consecutively for a total 327-month term of imprisonment.

The victim’s mother delivered a powerful victim impact statement, describing the devastating effects of Sustaita’s actions on her family. ‘He’s done so much damage,’ she said. ‘He’s ruined our family, our friends, and our lives.’

The court also noted that this was one of the most disturbing cases it had presided over. Sustaita will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.

At the time of his plea, Sustaita admitted to posting child erotica images to a known child pornography website and commenting on other similar images on that same site. The investigation led to Sustaita, whose online presence included a pay-to-play bestiality website.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Related Federal Cases