A Rockford resident, Stephen Canfield, has been sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison after being convicted of possessing child pornography. The sentencing took place on Friday before U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins.
Canfield, 54, was found guilty last year by a jury on two counts of possession of child pornography. Evidence at the trial showed that he knowingly stored illegal images on both his cell phone and a Dropbox account. The investigation started when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security received a cyber tip indicating suspected child pornography in the Dropbox account.
The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Ladd and Andrew M. Rosati represented the government during the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national effort that brings together federal, state, and local resources to address child sexual exploitation and abuse across the country. PSC aims to find, arrest, and prosecute individuals involved in exploiting children while also supporting victims with necessary services.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of sexual exploitation can reach out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through their website at www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
