Fresno Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offense

FRESNO, Calif. — Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Stefan Ramirez, 34, of Fresno, today to 12 years and seven months in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

The prison sentence imposed will be followed by five years of supervised release, during which Ramirez will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted.

“Consumers and distributors of child pornography often try to rationalize their actions as passive behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “It is most certainly not passive. Children are physically abused during the production of child pornography. Not only do consumers of child pornography seek gratification from vicariously participating in that abhorrent activity, but they also often make those images available to others through file sharing. The FBI and our partner agencies work to ensure consumers and distributors of child pornography understand their behavior is utterly contrary to the values of American society and will be met with rigorous investigation and lengthy prison sentences.”

According to a plea agreement and sentencing documents, Ramirez admitted that he used a file-sharing program to obtain and make available thousands of images of children being sexually abused. Some of the depictions were of infants and toddlers, and some included sadistic conduct and violence. Judge O’Neill  awarded restitution to seven victims whose images Ramirez obtained for damages that they established that Ramirez caused.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.