Manatee County Man Sentenced To 5 Years For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Capers Scott Hammond (35, Bradenton) to 5 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Hammond was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, a $30,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Hammond to forfeit an iPad, three thumb drives, a MacBook, a custom PC tower, and an iPhone, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Hammond entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2025. 

According to court documents, Hammond used a file-sharing network to distribute and receive CSAM. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement searched Hammond’s apartment, seized various electronics, and determined he had received and possessed seven images and four videos of CSAM.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.