Max sentenced imposed for distributing images involving children engaged in sadistic conduct

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 58-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of distributing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Steven Furman pleaded guilty Feb. 1.

Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton handed Furman the statutory maximum of 240 months.  He will also serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He was further ordered to register as a sex offender.

At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Furman was a hands-on offender and had sexually abused teenage girls over the course of several years, one of whom provided an in-person victim impact statement. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the horrible details of Furman’s crimes and her powerful statement.  

The investigation began after authorities learned about the distribution of files containing child pornography. The images included prepubescent minors forced to engage in sadistic or masochistic conduct. Furman was associated with that IP address.

Law enforcement also discovered Furman was writing and sending fantasies stories about abusing children.

On April 6, 2021, they executed a search warrant at Furman’s residence, at which time they seized various electronic devices. Forensic analysis on those devices revealed 671 images and videos depicting child pornography. At the time of his arrest, Furman admitted to using the internet to view, download and distribute child pornography.

The FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Smith and Dennis Robinson prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.