California Resident Sentenced in D.C. to 14 Years in Prison for Exploitation of a Dozen Girls

WASHINGTON - James Styner, 20, of Garden Grove, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 14 years in prison after admitting to the online exploitation of at least a dozen girls, ranging in age from 12- to 17-years-old, in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Styner pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell. on March 28, 2025, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, to one count of distribution of child pornography, and to three counts of receipt of child pornography. In addition to the 14-year prison term, Judge Howell ordered Styner to serve seven years of supervised release.

"No man will be allowed to exploit, harm and victimize children under my watch," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "They will be hunted down, prosecuted and then face the full weight of justice. Whether you are behind a screen or behind closed doors-we will find you and convict you."

According to court documents, beginning at the age of 17 and continuing until the time of his arrest at the age of 19, Styner engaged in a pervasive online campaign to manipulate and exploit vulnerable girls for his own sexual satisfaction. He participated in approximately 45 chat conversations over Discord in which he demanded self-produced sexually explicit material from the individuals on the other end, many of them being underage girls.

His conduct included in-person sexual relationships with at least two minor girls. He also frequently sent explicit images of his own genitalia to his minor victims and distributed self-produced child pornography to others, including minors.

As part of his plea agreement, Styner admitted to conduct involving a total of 12 minor victims, all of whom were identified. He also admitted that he had engaged in similar conduct with other unidentified individuals.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department-Federal Bureau of Investigation (MPD-FBI) Child Exploitation Task Force with substantial assistance from the West Covina (California) Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond for the District of Columbia.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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