Former Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

FRESNO—United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced that MICHAEL LYNN LEYDER, 27, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to four years and nine months for his conviction on one count of possession of child pornography. A 15-year term of supervised release will follow the prison term during which his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department.

According to Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa, who prosecuted the case, LEYDER’s girlfriend discovered images of child pornography on LEYDER’s laptop computer in early May 2008. A forensic examination of the computer revealed that LEYDER had downloaded at least two video files of child pornography. At least one of the videos contained images of violent or sadistic conduct involving a child under the age of 12. Many other file titles associated with child pornography were also recovered, although the files had been deleted. At the time the two video files were downloaded, LEYDER was employed by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff.

LEYDER pleaded guilty on July 28, 2009, and was remanded into federal custody.