Show-Me State Times

A Galena, Missouri man and registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court for crimes related to child pornography. Steven Vincent Sanchez, 56, received a sentence of 200 months in federal prison without parole from U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Following his release, Sanchez will be subject to 15 years of supervised release.

Sanchez pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025, to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He has previous felony convictions for statutory sodomy in the second degree and loitering within 500 feet of a public park, which led to his requirement to register as a sex offender.

Court records show that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report after Dropbox identified a video file containing suspected child pornography. Investigators traced the file to Sanchez and executed a search warrant at his residence in Galena on August 7, 2023. Authorities seized several electronic devices and discovered 234 images and one video depicting child pornography.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Stone County Sheriff’s Office.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to pursue individuals who exploit children online and to help rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at https://www.usdoj.gov/psc.