McPherson County Man Sentenced to 260 Years for Producing Child Pornography

WICHITA, KS—A man from McPherson County, Kansas has been sentenced to 260 years in federal prison for using a 9-year-old child to produce child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Philip Andra Grigsby, 50, Marquette, Kansas, pleaded guilty as charged to eight counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

“I want this sentence to send a message,” said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “The fight against child sexual exploitation and abuse is a top priority for our office.”

Grigsby initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed in July 2012 in U.S. District Court in Wichita. The complaint stated the investigation began in Australia earlier that year when an Australian man was arrested by police in that country. Evidence in that case showed the man had received child pornography over the Internet from other men, including Grigsby in Kansas.

Investigators found e-mail messages sent by Grigsby to the Austalian, including attachments with images of child pornography. The name of a middle school was visible on a certificate in one of the photos, which helped investigators identify the location and identity of the victim. Investigators obtained other evidence when they served search warrants at Grigsby’s home. Forensic analysis of the digital media revealed hundreds of still photos and five movies showing the sexual exploitation of the minor victim, as well as other images of child pornography and evidence the defendant used a webcam to broadcast the abuse to other offenders.

Grissom commended the FBI; the Australian Federal Police; the Marquette Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.