James C. Astorian, a 40-year-old St. Louis County man, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover police officer.
The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark, is the result of an investigation that began after Astorian shared multiple images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer via a peer-to-peer network.
Astorian was found to be in possession of 6,110 images and 728 videos containing CSAM, some of which were described as “notably violent.” According to a government sentencing memorandum, Astorian had been trafficking in CSAM for about two years.
As part of his sentencing, Astorian has been ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victims that have been identified in the images that he collected. Astorian pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to one count of possession of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Project Safe Childhood is a crucial initiative that marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The sentencing of James C. Astorian serves as a reminder of the importance of continued efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The work of law enforcement agencies and initiatives like Project Safe Childhood is crucial in bringing perpetrators to justice and protecting vulnerable victims.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes