Press Release
Raytown Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Child Pornography
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Cody Lee Davidson, 20, of Raytown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 20 years in federal prison without parole, which is the statutory maximum penalty. The court also sentenced Davidson to supervised release for the rest of his life following incarceration.
On May 2, 2017, Davidson pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography over the Internet. Davidson admitted that he took pornographic photos of a 7-year-old child victim, identified as Jane Doe, and posted those images on a Web site. Davidson also took a video of the child victim, which federal agents located on his cell phone. Davidson also admitted he took photos of an 8-year-old child victim, identified as Jane Doe 2.
The investigation began when agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston discovered the images of child pornography posted on a website that is often used by traders of child pornography to distribute to one another. Law enforcement officers executed a search at Davidson’s residence and seized three cell phones and a camera. Analysis located photos and videos of child pornography on each of the seized cell phones, including pornographic photos and video of Jane Doe.
Analysis of Davidson’s cell phones located approximately 1,900 images and 400 videos that contain child pornography, including images and videos that depict adult males sexually assaulting female prepubescent children ranging in age from infants to 12 years old.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
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, 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.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Updated December 19, 2017
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Project Safe Childhood
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