A Groton man has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for a child exploitation offense. Ryan Cameron, 23, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cameron was previously convicted in state court in 2023 for illegally disseminating intimate images of a 15-year-old girl. In April 2024, while on state probation, his probation officer found him with a cell phone, which he was not allowed to have under the terms of his probation. A forensic analysis of the device uncovered videos depicting child sexual abuse as well as messages showing that Cameron had solicited and distributed child pornography. The phone also contained recordings of Cameron sending sexually explicit images and videos of himself to young girls via Snapchat.
Cameron has been detained since May 20, 2024, following his arrest on unrelated state charges. He pleaded guilty in federal court on January 3, 2025, to receipt of child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the New Haven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo prosecuted the case.
"This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation," according to the press release. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, individuals are encouraged to visit www.cybertipline.com.
