A Belton, Missouri man was sentenced on March 19 to 30 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri. Steven Michael George, 45, received a sentence of 360 months’ imprisonment followed by 30 years of supervised release from U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough.
George had previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and faced an enhanced sentence due to prior state convictions for first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation, and possession of child pornography. Between March and July 2023, George distributed images and videos of child sexual abuse material over the Internet using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Investigators also found such material on several devices in his possession. In addition to his prison term, George was ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to victims depicted in the materials.
Upon release from prison, George will be required to register as a sex offender and comply with both federal and state registration requirements that may last throughout his life. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach and prevention programs addressing issues such as violent crime and drug trafficking according to the official website. The office has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to the official website, operates under the U.S. Department of Justice according to the official website, handles federal prosecutions across 66 counties in western Missouri according to the official website, covers a jurisdiction stretching from Iowa’s border southward to Arkansas and westward from Kansas halfway across Missouri according to the official website, and collaborates with law enforcement partners at all levels according to the official website.
