Joseph Craig Rabon, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2023

A federal judge has handed down a harsh sentence to Joseph Craig Rabon, 37, of Monroe, North Carolina, for his involvement in the possession and receipt of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad sentenced Rabon to 20 years in prison for his crime, which was discovered by the FBI in August 2016. During their investigation, agents found that Rabon was using peer-to-peer software to access and download images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including images portraying sadistic conduct and children under the age of 12.

Rabon was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2018 and released on bond. However, while on pretrial release, he repeatedly attempted to access and view pornography on the internet, violating the terms of his release.

After Rabon's guilty plea, a minor victim came forward to report sexual abuse by Rabon over a five-year period, which led to an enhanced term of imprisonment.

Rabon is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. He will also serve 30 years under supervised release and register as a sex offender after his term of incarceration.

Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer commended the FBI for their investigation, stating that it is a testament to their dedication to combating the online exploitation of children.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/federal-judge-sentences-monroe-nc-man-20-years-receipt-and-possession-child-pornography