A St. Louis County man has admitted to sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover police officer. James C. Astorian, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography.
Astorian confessed to distributing multiple images and videos containing child sexual abuse material through a peer-to-peer network to a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer in January 2020. A court-approved search by the St. Louis County police at Astorian's residence led to the recovery of electronic devices holding 6,110 images and 728 videos of child pornography. He acknowledged searching for and downloading such material for approximately two years.
Sentencing is set for August 13, with the crime carrying a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
The investigation involved the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the FBI, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling prosecution duties.
This case forms part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project leverages federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals exploiting children online while also identifying victims for rescue efforts.
For further details on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
