Savannah Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Receiving Child Pornography

SAVANNAH, GA—STEVEN E. CRANFORD, 47, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Judge B. Avant Edenfield to 12 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for the receipt of child pornography. Cranford will also be required to register as a sex offender. At the conclusion of the sentencing, Cranford was returned to the custody of the United States Marshals Service to serve his sentence.

According to the evidence presented at Cranford’s plea and sentencing hearings, Cranford, who worked as an information technology administrator, downloaded thousands of images depicting child pornography on a computer issued to him by his employer. Cranford’s collection, amassed over a two-week period, included over 2,300 images and 29 videos of children being sexually abused and exploited. The evidence further revealed that Cranford pled guilty to lewd and lascivious acts with a victim less than 16 years of age, in Florida, in 1998. He had been collecting child pornography images for over 15 years.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “This defendant collected images of children being sexually abused. The act of downloading the despicable images only served to continue the abuse perpetrated on those victims. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who facilitate the violent sexual assault of children, and further the market for such images.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood, led by the United States Attorneys Offices, marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

The case was the result of an investigation conducted by Special Agent William Kirkconnell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Greenwood prosecuted the case.

For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.