Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to 280 Months in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – MICHAEL LEE SAPP, 43, of City, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Joe Heaton to serve 280 months in federal prison for downloading child pornography and for manufacturing child pornography depicting himself engaged in sex acts with a young girl, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

According to court records and statements made in court, an undercover Edmond Police Department detective downloaded child pornography from Sapp’s computer in February 2016. On June 30, 2016, officers executed a search warrant at Sapp’s apartment, where they seized numerous electronic devices for examination. Forensic analysis discovered tens of thousands of pictures and videos of child pornography depicting prepubescent girls as well as images of children in bondage and animals engaging in sex acts with children. Officers also discovered among Sapp’s child pornography collection images that he had produced himself. These images depicted Sapp engaging in sex acts with a young girl, and, using a computer, he had later annotated them with lewd commentary. Sapp also had in his possession girls’ panties and photographs of girls that were apparently taken surreptitiously at his apartment complex and at a pool.

Sapp was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 17, 2016, and pled guilty on October 18, 2016. After serving the 280-month prison sentence, Sapp will be required to register as a sex offender and be under supervision of the United States Probation Office for the rest of his life.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Edmond Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator.