Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced for Distributing Child Pornography

MINNEAPOLIS - Anthony John Crowley, 52, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after having pleaded guilty last year to distributing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. In addition to the custodial sentence, Crowley was also ordered to pay a $10,000 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

Rosen was joined in the announcement by Interim Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of FBI Minneapolis.

According to court documents, Crowley, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, knowingly distributed one or more images which contained visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In 2022, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) received a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The tip informed them that someone was using the Kik application to upload child pornography images. The Kik user ID was linked to Crowley's phone number and email address. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Crowley's Kik account and his home and seized his electronic devices. On his Kik account, they located evidence that he had distributed child pornography images to other users and participated in chat groups related to pictures of children. On his electronic devices, law enforcement found child pornography and age-questionable images and what are known as "child erotica" stories.

At the time of his crimes and of his arrest, Crowley was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer stationed at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

The U.S. Attorney's Office thanks the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Minnetonka Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their investigation and hard work on this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline prosecuted the case.