A Baltimore man has been condemned to 23 years in federal prison for crimes involving the sexual abuse of a minor that he both committed and recorded, as well as later sharing files of similar abusive acts online.
According to an announcement made on October 1st by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, William Zev Steen, the 46-year-old offender, is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher following his guilty plea, which admitted to the sexual abuse spanning from the time the victim was two until she turned eight. The recording of said abuse, Steen's sentence will be succeeded by a mandatory lifetime of supervised release. It highlights the U.S. government's ongoing efforts under Project Safe Childhood to combat sexual exploitation of children.
Steen's conviction stems from his actions between 2005 and 2011, where he abused a young girl, recording two of these incidents when the victim was just five years old, as stated in the details released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The successful investigation and subsequent prosecution of Steen involved several agencies, with U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron praising Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, HSI Tel Aviv, and the Baltimore Police Department for their collaborative efforts. Barron also expressed gratitude toward Assistant United States Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Michael Aubin, who prosecuted the case.
The Department of Justice encourages individuals to visit its website for more information about Project Safe Childhood and resources for Internet safety education.
