Steven Hibbett, Child Pornography Possession, California 2013

Steven Hibbett, 59-Year-Old Sex Offender, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

San Jose, CA - Steven Hibbett, a 59-year-old convicted sex offender from Santa Cruz, California, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced the sentencing yesterday afternoon.

Hibbett pleaded guilty to an Information alleging possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B) on July 29, 2013. In pleading guilty, Hibbett admitted that he downloaded child pornography from the Internet onto a laptop computer that law enforcement seized from a Santa Cruz storage locker.

Hibbett also admitted that he knowingly possessed over 600 images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors and images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct. Notably, Hibbett was on state probation for a prior 2009 California felony conviction for possessing child pornography at the time of the offense.

The Honorable Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Court Judge, handed down the 10-year sentence, along with a 5-year period of supervised release, and ordered Hibbett to register as a sex offender and participate in a sex offender treatment program.

Hibbett has been in federal custody since April 18, 2013, when he was originally charged by complaint and made his initial appearance in federal court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Fazioli prosecuted the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Santa Cruz Police Department.

Hibbett's sentencing serves as a reminder of the severity of child pornography crimes and the importance of law enforcement efforts to prevent and prosecute these offenses.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/convicted-santa-cruz-sex-offender-sentenced-ten-years-prison-possessing-child