Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Anthony Joseph Fresco, a 68-year-old resident of New Port Richey, to 11 years and three months in federal prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Fresco to forfeit electronic devices used in the crime, pay $33,000 in restitution to the victims, and register as a sex offender. Fresco pleaded guilty on October 18, 2024.
Court documents reveal that in January 2023, Fresco communicated with an undercover FBI agent online. During these interactions, he expressed his sexual interest in minors and shared two images and one video of CSAM with the agent. A subsequent search of Fresco's electronic devices by law enforcement uncovered that he had distributed CSAM in various online groups and possessed hundreds of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, including content involving infants and toddlers.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel prosecuted it.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together resources from federal, state, and local levels to find and prosecute those who exploit children sexually while identifying and rescuing victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
