A Fort Myers man has been ordered to serve 12 years in federal prison after authorities said he possessed, accessed and received images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children. Federal prosecutors announced the punishment as part of Project Safe Childhood, the nationwide initiative that targets people who collect or trade child sexual abuse material. Officials said local and federal agencies worked the case together.
Fort Myers man sentenced to 12 yrs in federal prison for possessing, accessing & receiving child sexual abuse images & videos. #PSCMDFL @FBITampa @SheriffLeeFL https://t.co/NcmWQ25b6o pic.twitter.com/6RhVDgjkB7
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) March 24, 2026
According to USAO Middle Florida, the sentence was announced today and handed down in federal court in the Middle District of Florida. The office described the conduct as "possessing, accessing, and receiving" images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. The brief social media post did not include additional case details, and prosecutors did not publish further identifying information.
Investigators and local partners
The U.S. attorney's post tagged the FBI's Tampa Field Office and the Lee County Sheriff's Office as partners on the case. Federal child exploitation investigations in Southwest Florida are often handled through joint task forces that pull in both federal and local agencies. Similar prosecutions can be found in recent releases from FBI Tampa, while the Lee County Sheriff's Office details local coordination efforts on its site. Authorities frequently rely on tips to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to launch these kinds of investigations.
What the law says
The federal crimes cited in the post fall under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A, which makes it illegal to receive, distribute, possess or access child pornography and sets multi year prison terms for those offenses. The Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood program coordinates cases involving online child exploitation and highlights the department's enforcement priorities in this area. Sentences vary depending on the specific subsection charged and can increase when victims are very young or when a defendant has prior qualifying convictions.
Judges in federal courts look to sentencing guidelines and weigh factors such as the size of a defendant's collection, the ages of the victims and any criminal history. Full case details typically appear in court dockets and filings as they become public. Anyone with information about child sexual exploitation can report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children through its CyberTipline or contact local law enforcement.
