Craig James Myran, a resident of Bemidji, Minnesota, received a 262-month prison sentence with an additional ten years of supervised release for his activities involving child sexual abuse materials on the dark web. The U.S. District Court delivered the sentence under Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
Myran, 47, was involved in a dark-web site focused on child sexual abuse material. He made over a thousand posts sharing such content and even requested specific files. His apartment was searched by the FBI on December 8, 2022, uncovering hard drives and a cell phone with evidence linking him to the site.
Myran’s activities extended beyond a single site, as he took part in various dark-web communities trafficking similar material. He also produced child sexual abuse material by recording explicit webcam sessions involving minors.
He was found guilty on November 20, 2024, for advertising, distributing, and possessing content depicting minors in sexually explicit acts. In delivering the sentence, Judge Tostrud stated, “The defendant’s crimes reflected disregard for the victims’ humanity. He treated society’s most vulnerable victims, young children, as sex objects and nothing more.” He further noted Myran's intentional usage of the dark web to hide activities and emphasized the need to protect the public due to Myran’s lack of responsibility acceptance and depraved mindset.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick expressed the severity of these crimes, reiterating the wrongfulness of Myran’s involvement with dark-web communities. Similarly, Alvin M. Winston Sr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI Minneapolis, highlighted the importance of unmasking predators hiding behind the dark web.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, falling under Project Safe Childhood’s efforts to combat child exploitation online. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman.
