A Wilmington man has been ordered to spend 50 years in federal prison after admitting he produced and distributed child sexual abuse material, wrapping up a multi-agency investigation that authorities say uncovered hundreds of images and videos of young victims. The defendant had already pleaded guilty in state court earlier this month and is staring down additional prison time there as well.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 35-year-old Tony Michael Crisco pleaded guilty on January 29 to production and distribution of child pornography and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Federal officials credited a joint investigation involving the FBI, the Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office for building the case.
State Plea And Local Sentence
On the state side, Crisco pleaded guilty last Thursday in New Hanover County Superior Court to multiple statutory sex offenses and received a sentence of 317 to 441 months - roughly 26 to 37 years - in state prison, as reported by WECT. Prosecutors told the station that the negotiated plea was designed in part to spare the victims from having to take the stand at trial.
FBI Response
The FBI’s Charlotte field office highlighted the federal outcome in a post on X, saying that “this lengthy federal prison sentence makes one thing clear: anyone who exploits children will be found, prosecuted, and removed from society for a very long time,” and publicly thanking its local partners. That message echoed the tone of the U.S. Attorney’s announcement and underscored the multi-jurisdictional nature of the probe.
How Investigators Say The Case Unfolded
Prosecutors say the investigation began in May 2023 after Crisco’s mother in Citrus County, Florida, alerted authorities to an online video that appeared to show him abusing a toddler. Federal agents then executed a warrant at Crisco’s Wilmington home and on his digital devices, where they say they uncovered an extensive cache of child sexual abuse material - including more than 1,000 images and 348 videos - along with evidence that he had groomed and sexually exploited a 14-year-old, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Those findings formed the backbone of the production and distribution charges that led to Wednesday’s 50-year federal sentence.
Case Records And Victim Support
The federal case is filed as Case No. 7:24-CR-00097-D. Court records are available through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina website or via PACER. Local officials said victims have been connected with support services and thanked partner agencies, including the Carousel Center and Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, for their role in assisting throughout the investigation.
