Gregory Allen Kornman Sentenced to 8 Years in State Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Author: District Attorney
Date: 10/28/2025 4:02 PM

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that Gregory Allen Kornman was sentenced to eight years in state prison for possession and distribution of thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including content depicting torture and sexual sadism against infants, toddlers and very young children.

The sentencing took place this afternoon in Department 10 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, the Honorable Jesse Marino presiding. Kornman, who previously pleaded guilty to all 22 charges on September 9, 2025, was sentenced for two felony counts of possession of child pornography with special enhancements, 19 counts of transmission of child pornography, and one misdemeanor count of committing a lewd act in public.

The defendant faced a maximum punishment of 18 years 4 months in state prison due to statutory sentencing enhancements created by the Legislature for increased punishment in cases involving more than 600 images and for contraband depicting sexual sadism or masochism. In this case, the evidence proved, and the defendant admitted those enhancements were true. However, Judge Jesse Marino declined the district attorney's request to impose the additional three-year sentence allowed for the sentencing enhancements.

The investigation began on March 13, 2025, when San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Deputy Joel Molina observed Kornman engaged in lewd conduct in his vehicle on the side of a road in Nipomo. The subsequent investigation led to the discovery of more than 3,000 videos and images of child sexual abuse material on Kornman's cell phone and Gateway computer. The investigation also revealed that Kornman actively transmitted this harmful child sexual abuse material to other individuals at least 159 times through internet-based communications applications.

Sheriff's Deputy (Detective) Patricia Montalvo testified at the preliminary hearing that the material included extremely disturbing content depicting sexual sadism and violence against infants, toddlers, and young children. The evidence also included written statements and audio recordings in which Kornman expressed in great detail his desires to kidnap, rape, and torture young children.

"The defendant's deliberate accumulation of thousands of sadistic images depicting the rape and torture of very young children, coupled with the transmission of these materials to others, perpetuates catastrophic harm to innocent victims and fuels a depraved market that incentivizes the continued sexual abuse of children," said District Attorney Dan Dow. "Every single child who was harmed during the production of this material is revictimized each time it is viewed or distributed."

District Attorney Dow emphasized that this case demonstrates the serious threat posed by those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse material. "While possession of child pornography may appear to some as a passive crime, it is no less serious than direct child sexual molestation. The children depicted in these images suffered grievous harm at the time of production and are exploited again with every viewing and transmission."

The prosecution had recommended the court issue a sentence of 13 years, which included a reduction of 5 years and 4 months from the maximum possible sentence under California law. District Attorney Dow noted that this leniency was offered in recognition of Kornman's acceptance of responsibility through his guilty plea to all charges.

It was revealed during the investigation that Kornman was employed by the Bonita Unified School District in Santa Maria as a substitute teacher for students in kindergarten through middle school. There are no known instances of child sexual abuse committed against children while Kornman worked as a substitute teacher.

"This sentence of eight years will be served at 'half time' due to California law. While this will remove him from our community for only four years, it should protect our children from his stated intent for that time, after which he will be released on parole," District Attorney Dow said. "Our office is firmly committed to aggressively prosecuting those who exploit children and to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society."

The investigation was led by Sheriff's Deputy (Detective) Patricia Montalvo of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit. Other Sheriff's Office personnel who assisted in the case were: Deputy James Barnard, Deputy Tyler Brixey, Deputy Justin Francis, Deputy Wade Knowles, Deputy BerLynne Kucer, Deputy Trevor Lopes, Deputy Ian McFarland, Deputy Joel Molina, Cyber Forensic Laboratory Analyst Crystal Morales, Deputy Dyllan Smiley, and Deputy David Smith. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Dan Dow.

Here is a copy of the defendant's booking photo. Here is a copy of the filed information.

Please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric J. Dobroth at 805.781.5819 with any questions.

###

About the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office

The mission of the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office is to bring justice and safety to our community by aggressively and fairly prosecuting crime and protecting the rights of crime victims. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a crime, please contact the District Attorney's Christopher G. Money Victim Witness Assistance Center at (805) 781-5800 for support and services.