Novato Man Patrick Harvey Gets 84 Months for Child Porn Charges

Patrick Harvey, a 30-year-old man from Novato, California, is headed to federal prison for 84 months after being sentenced on charges tied to the receipt of child pornography. The sentence, handed down in San Francisco, marks the end of a years-long investigation by federal authorities into Harvey’s predatory online activity, which included targeting minors and amassing hundreds of illicit files.

Harvey pleaded guilty on September 14, 2016, to one count of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, a charge stemming from a 2014 case. According to court documents, he used Facebook to make contact with a girl he later learned was 15 years old at the time. He convinced her to produce and send him sexually explicit images of herself — images he then stored on his cell phone.

But the abuse didn’t stop there. Investigators discovered that Harvey possessed more than 500 files containing child pornography, including videos and images depicting pre-pubescent minors under the age of 12. Shockingly, he also shared some of these illicit materials with another individual via text message — a move that exposed even more children to exploitation.

A federal grand jury indicted Harvey on December 1, 2015, on multiple counts: possession of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, receipt of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, and distribution of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2251. Though he pleaded guilty only to the receipt charge, the evidence painted a damning picture of a man deeply involved in the circulation and consumption of child sexual abuse material.

The Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge, imposed the 84-month sentence and tacked on a ten-year period of supervised release with strict conditions. Harvey is barred from using computers or accessing the internet, forbidden from visiting places where children congregate, and must comply with warrantless searches by law enforcement at any time.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hawkins led the prosecution, with assistance from Maria Sunga. The case was the product of a thorough FBI investigation, underscoring the Bureau’s ongoing efforts to track down predators who exploit children from behind screens. Harvey began serving his sentence immediately, offering no public statement as he was taken into custody.