A Stanislaus County man was convicted on charges of receipt of child pornography, according to a statement from the Justice Department. Edward Cragg, a 46-year-old from Turlock, was found guilty by a federal jury of downloading more than 130 videos showing the sexual abuse of children, including disturbing footage of infants and toddlers.
Following the announcement by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Eric Grant; Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office; and Chief Jason Hedden of the Turlock Police Department, the conviction marks a significant step in the ongoing battle against child exploitation. "Today, a jury found Cragg guilty of crimes that encouraged the gross abuse of our society’s most vulnerable members," U.S. Attorney Grant stated, as reported by the Justice Department.
The investigation utilized a file-sharing program to uncover Cragg's illegal activities between 2015 and 2016. Assisting in the investigation was the Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit within the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The case, which is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative started in 2006 by the Department of Justice, highlights the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local agencies to address the increasing issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Cragg is slated for sentencing on December 8, 2025 and faces a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years in prison. According to court documents, the exact sentence will fall to the discretion of U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, who will take into consideration statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which, account for a number of variables. For more information about the protective efforts and resources marshaled against such crimes, the public is encouraged to visit the Project Safe Childhood website.
