United States of America v. Corey Steele

Mobile, AL - The United States of America charged Corey Steele, age 33, with production of child porn.



According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Foley Police Department received a tip that Steele was in possession of images of child pornography. During the course of their investigation, Foley Police were able to determine that Steele’s co-defendant, Krystal Sanspree, and Steele were involved in a romantic relationship. During the course of their relationship, Steele requested that Sanspree take sexually explicit photos of a child. Sanspree complied, and subsequently sent the images to Steele. Some of the images depicted Sanspree engaged in sex acts with a child. When interviewed, Sanspree admitted to taking the photos. Steele admitted to requesting the photos and stated that he directed Sanspree to do the specific things portrayed in the photos. Both Steele and Sanspree were in possession of the images at the time of their arrest.



United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed a sentence of 360 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Steele undergo mental health treatment, sex offender treatment, and drug and alcohol treatment while incarcerated. The judge also ordered Steele to serve a fifteen-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Steele will be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Granade ordered that Steele pay $10,100 in special assessments. Krystal Sanspree was previously sentenced to twenty years in prison for her crimes.



This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc



The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.



Production of Child Pornography, 18 U.S.C. 3014 which provides:



(a) In General.—Beginning on the date of enactment of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 and ending on September 30, 2019, in addition to the assessment imposed under section 3013, the court shall assess an amount of $5,000 on any non-indigent person or entity convicted of an offense under—



(1) chapter 77 (relating to peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons);



(2) chapter 109A (relating to sexual abuse);



(3) chapter 110 (relating to sexual exploitation and other abuse of children);



(4) chapter 117 (relating to transportation for illegal sexual activity and related crimes); or



(5) section 274 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324) (relating to human smuggling), unless the person induced, assisted, abetted, or aided only an individual who at the time of such action was the alien's spouse, parent, son, or daughter (and no other individual) to enter the United States in violation of law.



(b) Satisfaction of Other Court-Ordered Obligations.—An assessment under subsection (a) shall not be payable until the person subject to the assessment has satisfied all outstanding court-ordered fines, orders of restitution, and any other obligation related to victim-compensation arising from the criminal convictions on which the special assessment is based.



(c) Establishment of Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund.—There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund, to be known as the "Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund" (referred to in this section as the "Fund"), to be administered by the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.



(d) Transfers.—In a manner consistent with section 3302(b) of title 31, there shall be transferred to the Fund from the General Fund of the Treasury an amount equal to the amount of the assessments collected under this section, which shall remain available until expended.



(e) Use of Funds.—



(1) In general.—From amounts in the Fund, in addition to any other amounts available, and without further appropriation, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019, use amounts available in the Fund to award grants or enhance victims' programming under—



(A) section 204 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044c);



(B) subsections (b)(2) and (f) of section 107 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105);



(C) section 214(b) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13002(b)); and



(D) section 106 of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 17616).



(2) Limitation.—Except as provided in subsection (h)(2), none of the amounts in the Fund may be used to provide health care or medical items or services.



(f) Collection Method.—The amount assessed under subsection (a) shall, subject to subsection (b), be collected in the manner that fines are collected in criminal cases.



(g) Duration of Obligation.—Subject to section 3613(b), the obligation to pay an assessment imposed on or after the date of enactment of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 shall not cease until the assessment is paid in full.



(h) Health or Medical Services.—



(1) Transfer of funds.—From amounts appropriated under section 10503(b)(1)(E) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 254b–2(b)(1)(E)), as amended by section 221 of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, there shall be transferred to the Fund an amount equal to the amount transferred under subsection (d) for each fiscal year, except that the amount transferred under this paragraph shall not be less than $5,000,000 or more than $30,000,000 in each such fiscal year, and such amounts shall remain available until expended.



(2) Use of funds.—The Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall use amounts transferred to the Fund under paragraph (1) to award grants that may be used for the provision of health care or medical items or services to victims of trafficking under—



(A) sections 202, 203, and 204 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044a, 14044b, and 14044c);



(B) subsections (b)(2) and (f) of section 107 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105); and



(C) section 214(b) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13002(b)).



(3) Grants.—Of the amounts in the Fund used under paragraph (1), not less than $2,000,000, if such amounts are available in the Fund during the relevant fiscal year, shall be used for grants to provide services for child pornography victims under section 214(b) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13002(b)).



(4) Application of provision.—The application of the provisions of section 221(c) of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 shall continue to apply to the amounts transferred pursuant to paragraph (1).

Imprisonment 360 months. Recommendation to BOP - sex offender treatment. SRT 15 years. Special conditions: (1) substance abuse testing, (2) substance abuse treatment, (3) mental health evaluation/treatment, (4) model search condition, (5) sex offender treatment, (6) computer restrictions, (7) examination of any internet-capable device, (8) cooperation with Probation Office re: computer and internet monitoring program, (9) compliance with sex offender registration requirements. SA $100.00, SA of $5,000.00 pursuant to 18:3014, and SA of $5,000.00 pursuant to Amy, Vicky and Andy Act.