July 2, 2024 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment on June 6, 2024, against Sean Ryan Angelo Grace, 32, of Sacramento, charging him with producing images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between August 2021 and August 2023, Grace convinced at least five underage female victims to send him images and videos depicting themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, on each count, Grace faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 U.S. 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Source: DOJ Release