Kansas City, Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Pornography

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Belton, Mo., man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 360 months' imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons followed by 30 years of supervised release.

Steven Michael George, 45, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. George faced an enhanced range of punishment due to his prior Missouri state convictions for first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation, and possession of child pornography.

Between approximately March 17, 2023, and July 12, 2023, George distributed images and videos of child pornography (also referred to as "child sexual abuse material" or "CSAM") over the Internet through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Investigators also located CSAM images and videos on several devices possessed by George. In addition to his sentence, George was ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in those CSAM images and videos.

George will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. and click on the tab "resources."