Convicted child abuser sent to prison for distributing child pornography on Facebook

GALVESTON, Texas - A 34-year-old Texas City resident has been sentenced for distributing and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Anthony Joseph Kiamar pleaded guilty Nov. 20, 2023.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered Kiamar to serve 180 and 120 months for the distribution and possession convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 180-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard excerpts of a victim impact statement detailing the ongoing harm the dissemination of these child pornography images and videos caused. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the seriousness of the crime and Kiamar’s history and characteristics. Kiamar was further ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Kiamar will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The investigation began after authorities discovered Kiamar had been distributing child pornography in 2019 using the Facebook Messenger platform. Prior to seizing his electronic devices, law enforcement also found he had engaged in an indecent assault against a minor victim. He was convicted of those offenses.

As part of the federal investigation, authorities conducted a forensic examination of his devices and uncovered 27 images and 44 videos of child pornography, some depicting all forms of sexual abuse of children. Several of the identified victims were as young as three.

Kiamar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.