Previously convicted sex offender sentenced to twenty years in federal prison for possession of prepubescent child pornography

A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced to twenty years in federal prison for possession of prepubescent child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

Ronnie Craig Lance, 54, of Amarillo, was charged in October 2024 and pled guilty in mid-January 2025, to federal charges of possessing prepubescent child pornography.  According to court documents, Lance admitted to possessing nearly 1400 videos and over 71,000 images of child sex abuse material on his personal laptop and other devices.  On May 20, 2025, he was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, who also ordered that Lance pay restitution of $140,000 to certain victims and serve lifetime supervision following his prison term.  

Court records indicate that in 2011, while previously residing in Lubbock, Texas, Lance was found to be in possession of child pornography, resulting in federal charges.  He was convicted after his guilty plea in June 2011 and was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings in September 2011.

Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham praised the work of the law enforcement agencies that conducted the investigation, including Homeland Security Investigations –Amarillo and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Frausto prosecuted the instant case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam assisted in the prosecution of the earlier case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”