East Texas man sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for possessing child pornography

BEAUMONT, Texas — An east Texas man was sentenced Wednesday to 6 ½ years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty earlier this year to possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales, Eastern District of Texas.

This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Michael Brandan Griffith was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison Aug. 7 by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone. Griffith had pleaded guilty April 9 to possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of children.

According to information presented in court, on Jan. 20, 2012, federal and local agents executed a search warrant at Griffith’s residence in Beaumont, Texas. Several computers and digital storage devices were seized and found to contain 111 images and 59 videos of child pornography. Some of the material included prepubescent children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice, Eastern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.