Home Jacksonville Press Releases 2010 Former UF Sports Broadcaster Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

Former UF Sports Broadcaster Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography

U.S. Attorney’s Office April 27, 2010
  • Northern District of Florida (850) 942-8430

GAINESVILLE, FL—Steven Michael Babik, 50, of Gainesville, Florida pled guilty in United States District Court today to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, said Thomas F. Kirwin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

A criminal information filed in United States District Court in Gainesville in January of this year, alleged that between November 2, 2009, and November 30, 2009, Babik knowingly received, distributed, and possessed materials depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A statement of facts filed in connection with Babik’s plea to the information states that on November 2, 2009, an investigator with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force determined that on 326 occasions between June 2008 and November 2009, an IP address assigned to Babik offered known child pornography files for distribution. On November 30, 2009, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Babik’s home. Babik cooperated during the investigation, and confessed to downloading child pornography using his file sharing system. Forensic analysis of the computer system recovered from Babik’s house revealed a significant volume of child pornography videos. Babik admitted that he was aware that his computer files contained images of children engaging in sexual acts with other children and with adults.

Babik faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for this offense. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2010 at 1:30 p.m., before Chief United States District Judge Stephan P. Mickle.

The case is a result of an investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice initiative, Project Safe Childhood. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.