Winter Park Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

ORLANDO—U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Robert Magruder, Jr. (55, Winter Park) to eight years in federal prison for distributing and possessing child pornography. As part of his sentence, Magruder was ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervision, following his release from prison, and required to register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Magruder to forfeit the devices he used to possess and distribute the child pornography. Magruder pleaded guilty on October 31, 2013.

According to court documents, on April 5, 2013, Magruder made files of child pornography available for download by other individuals by placing the files into a shared folder of an online peer-to-peer file sharing network. On this same date, from Magruder’s computer, an undercover task force agent downloaded three sets of videos depicting children less than 12 years of age being sexually abused, exploited, and subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct. Magruder was subsequently identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the user of the computer that distributed the images.

On June 12, 2013, agents interviewed Magruder at his residence. He admitted that he used the peer-to-peer file sharing program to search for and collect child pornography and acknowledged that he was aware that files in his shared folder were available for download by other individuals. Agents also executed a search warrant at Magruder’s residence and seized electronic devices containing several images and videos of child pornography, as well as evidence of Magruder’s use of the peer-to-peer file sharing program that he used to distribute the child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

It is another case 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.