A Juneau man pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography. William Steadman, 35, a registered sex offender, met a pre-pubescent boy in Juneau and enticed him to engage in sexually explicit conduct. He faces a minimum sentence of 25 years.
Steadman documented the conduct and posted the content on the dark web. Steadman first came to the attention of law enforcement when he distributed his newly produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.
According to the Department of Justice, Steadman attempted to obscure his identify from law enforcement by using the dark web, but tips from law enforcement, a cryptocurrency payment for additional CSAM material, and analysis of his online statements led to his identification and arrest.
A residential search resulted in the discovery of over 4,000 images and videos of CSAM on his devices.
Steadman pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces a mandatory‑minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Glen Peterson, U.S. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
The Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, and William Reed for the District of Alaska and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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.
