Michael Buchno-Factor, a 36-year-old resident of Sacramento, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller delivered the sentence on Tuesday, which also includes an order for Buchno-Factor to pay $29,000 in restitution for his involvement in the sexual exploitation of a child, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.

Court documents revealed that Buchno-Factor had a previous conviction related to abusive sexual contact with a minor. While on parole, authorities seized cellphones from him where he admitted using encrypted messaging and social media platforms. A subsequent search uncovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his devices and images of a minor girl from another country. The investigation further showed that he was distributing CSAM, including images involving the minor victim.

The case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang led the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood and internet safety education resources, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.