Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than 19 Years For Possessing A Firearm And Receiving Child Sex Abuse Images

Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Robert Leroy Badders, Jr. (34, Lake Mary) to 19 years and 7 months years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse images and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Badders to forfeit two firearms, assorted ammunition, and his smart phone device seized on the date of his arrest. Additionally, Badders agreed to abandon the remainder of electronic devices seized by the FBI in this case. Badders entered a guilty plea on June 6, 2024.

According to court documents, an undercover FBI agent discovered an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was sharing files containing child sex abuse material. The FBI traced the IP address and the file-sharing account to Badders and his residence in Lake Mary, Florida. During the search of Badders's residence, the FBI located two loaded firearms in Badders's backpack. Badders admitted to the FBI agents that he was the owner of the firearms and knew he could not possess them since he was a convicted felon. Badders had been convicted of at least two felonies prior to this incident. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

Further, during the search of Badders's residence, the FBI found his smart phone device and multiple microSD cards, all of which collectively contained hundreds of files child sex abuse material.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian.

This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.

Additionally, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.