Craig James Myran, a resident of Bemidji, Minnesota, received a prison sentence of 21 years followed by 10 years of supervised release. His charges include involvement in a dark web site advertising and distributing child sexual abuse imagery and video. Myran, aged 47, was found guilty of making over a thousand posts sharing such materials and requesting specific files. FBI officials conducted a search of his apartment in Bemidji in December 2022 and discovered numerous pieces of evidence linking Myran to these actions.
The prosecution's sentencing memorandum revealed that Myran's exploitation activities extended beyond a single site. He participated in several dark web platforms trafficking similar content and had produced child sexual abuse material through online interactions. A federal jury found him guilty on November 20, 2024, for advertising, distributing, and possessing sexually explicit material involving minors.
Judge Eric C. Tostrud, at the U.S. District Court, underscored the severity of Myran's crimes, stating, “The defendant’s crimes reflected disregard for the victims’ humanity. He treated society’s most vulnerable victims, young children, as sex objects and nothing more.” Judge Tostrud further remarked on the deliberate nature of Myran’s actions, saying he did not stumble onto the dark web accidentally.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick emphasized the gravity of crimes involving child sexual abuse, noting Myran's deep involvement in dark-web communities. She stated, “Crimes involving the sexual abuse of children are incalculably serious. This depraved behavior is sick, it is wrong, and it is not acceptable in Minnesota.”
Special Agent Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis commented, “Myran’s actions represent a calculated and deliberate effort to abuse and victimize society’s most vulnerable while hiding behind the dark web.”
The case stemmed from work by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, operating under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative targeting child exploitation online. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman handled the prosecution.