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Belton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography
A disturbing case of child exploitation has come to a close in the courts of Kansas City, Missouri. Christopher Lee Caven, a 40-year-old man from Belton, Missouri, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole for receiving child pornography over the internet.
According to court documents, Caven’s cell phone was found at the Flying J Truck Plaza in Peculiar, Missouri, on March 5, 2017. The person who found the phone attempted to conduct a factory reset, but in doing so, discovered a large amount of child pornography. This led them to contact law enforcement, who subsequently launched an investigation.
Prosecutors revealed that Caven had admitted to using his cell phone to distribute child pornography via the online sharing application Kik. Investigators found a staggering 402 video files and 302 images of child pornography on his phone, many of which depicted children as young as toddlers being sexually exploited.
Caven pleaded guilty to the charges on February 13, 2020, and was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole. He will also serve 12 years of supervised release following his incarceration.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force.
With this sentence, the courts have sent a clear message that child exploitation will not be tolerated. It is our hope that this case will serve as a warning to others who would seek to engage in such heinous crimes.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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