A Richardson man was found guilty on March 19 of federal child pornography offenses in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Justin Philip Ciruti, age 42, was convicted by a jury for distribution and possession of child pornography after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
Court information showed that in September 2024, a social media platform alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a user distributing child pornography through direct message. The Richardson Police Department received this referral and traced the activity to Ciruti’s residence in Richardson.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ciruti’s home on December 2, 2024, recovering electronic devices that contained approximately 200 images and about 200 videos of child pornography stored across various applications, including encrypted ones. Investigators also recovered the video file originally reported by the social media platform.
Ciruti faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count at sentencing under federal law. The final sentence will be determined by the court based on advisory guidelines and statutory factors following a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online. Project Safe Childhood coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to prosecute offenders and rescue victims nationwide.
