WICHITA, KAN. - A federal jury Thursday returned guilty verdicts in the trial of a Wellington man charged with distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Steven J. Meisel, 48, Wellington, Kan., was convicted on one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on May 9, 2014, a Wichita police detective downloaded child pornography from Meisel’s computer over the ARES P2P computer network. The files included images of prepubescent children engaged in sex acts. Investigators followed an electronic trail to Meisel’s computer at his residence in Wellington.
Sentencing is set for July 1. He faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the distribution charge; and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge. Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Exploited and Missing Child Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Wellington Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
