Springfield Man Gets 8 Years for Child Porn Distribution

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Michael Greinke, 29, of Springfield, Missouri, will spend the next eight years in federal prison after being sentenced today for his role in a sickening internet scheme involving the distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips handed down the sentence, with no possibility of parole, and ordered Greinke to pay $5,000 in restitution to one of his victims.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher, stemmed from an investigation that began in Canada. Investigators with the York Regional Police Service identified Greinke’s computer as the source of uploaded child pornography on an online social media platform. That information was relayed to U.S. authorities, triggering a swift response.

On April 6, 2015, law enforcement officers raided Greinke’s Springfield residence, seizing a cache of digital evidence. The haul included a desktop computer, a laptop, two hard drives, three SD cards, and a cell phone – all instrumental in the commission of the crimes. Greinke’s activity spanned from January 1, 2014, to April 6, 2015, a period during which he actively received and distributed illicit materials.

Greinke pleaded guilty on May 16, 2016, to the charges against him. While a guilty plea doesn’t excuse the depravity of the offense, it did streamline the legal process. The sentence, however, reflects the severity of the crime and the lasting damage inflicted upon the victims.

The investigation was a joint effort, involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force, highlighting the collaborative approach needed to combat online exploitation. This wasn’t a local issue; it crossed international borders, demanding cooperation between agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

This case was brought under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 aimed at dismantling networks involved in the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The program pools federal, state, and local resources to identify predators, rescue victims, and bring perpetrators to justice. Resources for internet safety education can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc. The DOJ’s commitment to Project Safe Childhood is unwavering, and this sentence sends a clear message: those who prey on children will be held accountable.