North Las Vegas Man Convicted Of Receipt And Distribution Of Child Pornography

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A North Las Vegas resident who was indicted with a federal child pornography charge was found guilty yesterday, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Richard Lee Saterstad, 41, was convicted of receiving and distributing child pornography. United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the two-day bench trial. The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a life term of supervised release. If imposed by the Judge, Saterstad will also have to register as a sex offender.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that from November 23, 2013 to March 6, 2014, Saterstad received and distributed sexually explicit videos and images containing children over the Ares file sharing program. After law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, law enforcement found 14 different electronic devices belonging to Saterstad contained thousands of photos and videos depicting child pornography. Saterstad is a prior convicted felon.

The case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Burton and Kevin Schiff are prosecuting the case.

If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, you are urged to make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.org.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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