Belton Predator Gets 30 Years

⏱ 3 min read

Steven George, 45, of Belton, Missouri, is headed for three decades in federal prison. The sentence came down today after he was convicted of sharing and possessing horrific images and videos of child pornography over the dark web between mid-March and mid-July 2023. It wasn’t a first offense; George already had a Missouri record for sickening crimes against kids.

Federal investigators found George wasn’t just passively collecting this filth. He was actively distributing it via peer-to-peer networks, amplifying the abuse. A search of his devices turned up a vast trove of child sexual abuse material. The judge handed down the maximum – 360 months – acknowledging the severity and George’s prior convictions for first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation, and prior CSAM possession.

Beyond the prison term, George will be responsible for $36,000 in restitution to the victims shown in the images and videos he spread. And when he finally gets out – assuming he ever does – he’ll be a registered sex offender for life, subject to constant monitoring by both state and federal authorities.

The case was a joint operation by the FBI and the Kansas City Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning leading the prosecution. It’s part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood,” a continuing effort to crack down on the escalating epidemic of online child sexual exploitation.