Michael L. Stratton, Child Pornography, Kansas 2024

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Coffey County Man Used PlayStation to Collect Child Porn

A Coffey County man has been found guilty of using a PlayStation video game console to obtain child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Michael L. Stratton, 30, of Burlington, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. In his plea, he admitted using a PlayStation 3 to chat about child pornography and trade child pornography.

According to court documents, Sony monitors user activities on the PlayStation Network. The network allows account holders to communicate in a way similar to text and emails. A user complained to Sony about Stratton, who was sending messages using the name Susan_14. Sony sent reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which identified child pornography that Stratton had downloaded. Sony also determined that Stratton had sent messages to other users including: “u want to see naked kids tonight,” and “Friend Request. Do you have child porn?”

Stratton’s actions were brought to light after Sony monitored his user activity on the PlayStation Network. Stratton’s messages and downloads were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led to his arrest.

Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case. The parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of five years in federal prison.

Sentencing is set for August 7.