Orlando resident Joseph Anthony Santopietro, 46, has been indicted on federal charges relating to child sexual abuse material. According to a report by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the indictment, which charges Santopietro with receipt and possession of such illicit material, could result in a considerable prison sentence if a conviction is obtained.
Santopietro was reportedly found to have received child sexual abuse material in November of last year, an act that carries a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years and could extend up to 20 years in federal prison. In a continuing demonstration of disregard for the law, he was also discovered to possess similar prohibited content on September 18, which might earn him a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
An official statement from the Department of Justice indicates that "an indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law," additionally stressing that "every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty." The gravity of the charges reflects the serious approach federal agencies are taking towards crimes involving the exploitation of children.
The investigation that led to Santopietro’s indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson at the helm of the prosecution. This case forms part of Project Safe Childhood, a broad initiative spearheaded by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at curtailing the distressing trend of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
