A Juneau man, William Steadman, has admitted to producing child pornography, according to court documents. At 35, Steadman, a registered sex offender, engaged a young boy from his community in sexually explicit activity, which he recorded and distributed on the dark web.
Steadman's activities were brought to light when law enforcement noticed the distribution of newly produced child sexual abuse material online. Despite attempts to hide his identity on the dark web, Steadman was identified and arrested due to law enforcement tips, cryptocurrency transactions for additional material, and analysis of his online behavior. A search of his residence uncovered more than 4,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his devices.
He pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and now awaits sentencing. He faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence, considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The announcement was made by Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, and Glen Peterson, U.S. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office.
The Secret Service's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, and William Reed from the District of Alaska, along with Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project uses federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, as well as to identify and rescue victims. More information is available at www.justice.gov/psc.