Canton Man Charged With Producing, Distributing And Receiving Child Pornography

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging MICHAEL CRAWFORD, 35, of Canton, with one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.

CRAWFORD was arrested today.  Following his arrest, he appeared before United States Magistrate Judge William I. Garfinkel in Bridgeport.  CRAWFORD is detained pending a hearing that is scheduled for January 14.

The indictment alleges that, between September and December 2011, CRAWFORD produced depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and then distributed the images.  The indictment also alleges that CRAWFORD received visual depictions of other minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted of the charge of production of child pornography, CRAWFORD faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.  The charges of distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Connecticut State Police and the Canton Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and Anastasia E. King.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov