A Corpus Christi man has been sentenced to a 20-year in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In a report from the U.S. Attorney's Office, 23-year-old Pete Frank was handed down the sentence on November 25, 2024, by U.S. District Judge David Morales following his guilty plea.
Frank's sentence also includes a subsequent 25 years of supervised release, throughout which he will face tight restrictions on his internet access and contact with children. The terms mandated by the judge are a result of Frank's involvement in exchanging and discussing CSAM. In the same proceedings, it was revealed that Frank also had conversations detailing sexual assaults of a minor family member, as noted by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei's office.
April 14, 2020, marked the beginning of Frank's unraveling when authorities picked up on an internet user downloading files filled with content depicting child sexual assaults. The trail led them to Frank who was then closely surveilled, resulting in a legal search and seizure of his cell phone.
Forensic examination of the cell phone brought to light the extent of Frank’s illicit conduct, exposing conversations with others who shared an interest in CSAM. In these interactions, Frank discussed different strategies to sexually exploit minors and sought to trade explicit materials. Following his sentencing, Frank will remain in custody until he is transferred to a federal prison where he will serve out his sentence.
