Stephen Christopher Young, 58, of Gainesville, Florida, has been sentenced to 121 months (over 10 years) in federal prison for receipt/attempted receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Crimes against children are unacceptable,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. “Those who seek to view and maintain child pornography facilitate the abuse of children by those who produce and profit from this illegal content. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that we aggressively prosecute these offenders.”
In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Young’s residence and discovered evidence that he had been exchanging child pornography with others using various applications designed to evade detection through end-to-end encryption.
Following his prison sentence, Young will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $20,500 in restitution and will be required to register as a sex offender, adhering to all associated conditions.
Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott emphasized the importance of child protection, stating, “It’s crucial to prioritize the protection of children from sexual abuse.”
The case was a collaborative effort investigated by the Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Steer and Adam Hapner served as prosecutors.
Jason Carley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville, commented, “This case is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to protecting children by removing predators from our community. Let this be a lesson to others who prey on vulnerable kids; the FBI and our partners will never stop working to identify, pursue, and hold child predators accountable.”
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