KC Reporter

A man from Galena, Missouri, has been sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography. Steven Vincent Sanchez, 56, received a sentence of 200 months in federal prison without parole from U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Following his release, Sanchez will be subject to 15 years of supervised release.

Sanchez pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025, to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He is a registered sex offender with prior felony convictions for statutory sodomy in the second degree and loitering within 500 feet of a public park.

The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report after Dropbox identified a video file containing suspected child pornography. Investigators traced the file to Sanchez and executed a search warrant at his home in Galena on August 7, 2023. During the search, authorities seized several electronic devices that contained 234 images and one video depicting child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Stone County Sheriff’s Office.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.