Skip to main content
Press Release

Nevada Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Reno, Nevada man, was sentenced to 96 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the receipt and possession of child pornography, known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On August 30, 2023, Sean Paul Holt, 28, pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Holt will also have to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Holt was an active-duty member of the United States Army, who was stationed at Ft. Liberty (previously known as Ft. Bragg) at the time of the offense. In April 2020, Holt purchased CSAM from a Tor site dedicated to selling material depicting sadistic sexual abuse of young boys. Investigators traced the bitcoin transactions to accounts belonging to Holt and found evidence that Holt’s phone was one of several devices using the relevant IP address at the time of the transaction. Later, in Spring 2021, investigators received multiple Cybertips regarding suspected CSAM in a Tumblr account that was tied to an email address that investigators had previously identified as belonging to Holt. 

On May 19, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Holt’s residence, and seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed hundreds of CSAM files, including CSAM of prepubescent minors, on Holt’s phone. Investigators also found a Mega account used to store thousands of additional CSAM files. During the search warrant, Holt consented to a voluntary, non-custodial interview and made a number of admissions, including purchasing CSAM from a website, and accessing CSAM on and off for a number of years.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Army, Criminal Investigative Division investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00007-D.

###

Updated January 24, 2024

Topic
Project Safe Childhood