Craig Allen Rhoden, Child Pornography, Missouri 2023

A Springfield, Mo., man who possessed thousands of videos and photos of child pornography was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

Craig Allen Rhoden, 55, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips for trading images of child sexual abuse over the internet.

The court also ordered Rhoden to pay $150,000 in restitution to 30 victims.

Rhoden will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

Rhoden pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography on April 18, 2023.

A forensic analysis of Rhoden's electronic devices found more than 16,000 videos and photos of child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

This case 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.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/springfield-man-sentenced-15-years-child-pornography-2