A Portland man, David Lee Cannon, 36, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing more than 200 images of child sexual abuse material. Cannon is a registered sex offender with a previous conviction from 2009 for possessing similar material.
According to court documents, law enforcement discovered Cannon’s involvement with child sexual abuse material during an investigation into his uncle in February 2024. He requested images from his uncle using the encrypted messaging app Telegram. Authorities found additional evidence after searching Cannon’s electronic devices.
Cannon was arrested in Milwaukie, Oregon after agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tracked his cellphone. He was formally charged on April 28, 2025, and pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.
Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, stated: “The pursuit of individuals who exploit and abuse children is our highest priority. With today’s sentence, Mr. Cannon will spend the next 10 years behind bars, unable to victimize any other children.”
April Miller, acting Special Agent in Charge at HSI Seattle said: “HSI leverages advanced technology and every resource within its legal authority to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who possess child exploitation and sexual abuse material. Our unwavering commitment is to protect the most vulnerable and ensure that those who prey on children are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by HSI with support from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mira Chernick and Paul Maloney.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. These materials document actual crimes against children and sharing them online can cause repeated trauma to victims each time their abuse is viewed. More information about protecting children can be found at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (www.missingkids.org).
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to combat child sexual exploitation by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. Details about this initiative are available at www.justice.gov/psc.
