Houston Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Child Pornography Possession

Houston Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Child Pornography Possession

A 68-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for distributing and possessing over 6000 images of child pornography. Stephen Broussard pleaded guilty to the charges on October 26, 2022.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherin Daniel prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The court found that Broussard possessed 6215 images and 109 videos of child pornography, including sadistic or masochistic conduct involving children under the age of 12. The materials were made available for download through a peer-to-peer network, and authorities obtained a search warrant for Broussard’s residence, seizing his electronic devices.

During the forensic examination of his devices, authorities discovered the vast collection of child pornography, leading to the indictment and guilty plea. Broussard’s electronic devices were seized, and he was taken into custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

As part of his sentence, Broussard was ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.

Broussard will also be required to register as a sex offender. The court emphasized that distributing and possessing child pornography are egregious crimes that cause harm to the victims and perpetuate a culture of exploitation.

Project Safe Childhood is a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identify and rescue victims. For more information about the initiative and resources on internet safety education, visit the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood page.