Ocean Springs Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Accessing the Internet with Intent to View Child Pornography

Gulfport, Miss. – Steven Dedual, Jr., 45, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 159 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for accessing the internet with intent to view child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Thomas Annello, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. Judge Ozerden also ordered Dedual to pay a $5,000 fine; restitution to three victims in the amount of $5,000 each, for a total of $15,000; and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

From November 2015 through May 2016, Dedual, through his use of computers in Gulfport and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, accessed the internet as a user of a file-sharing network with the intent to view visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to include visual depictions of a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.