An Independence, Kentucky man has been sentenced to 84 months in prison for transporting child pornography. Ralph Britton, aged 55, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning. Britton was found guilty of using digital means to distribute illicit content.
According to the plea agreement, the investigation began following a cyber tip received on December 28, 2023. Law enforcement was alerted to 18 video files depicting child pornography uploaded from a Synchronoss account, linked to Verizon Wireless users. The account was traced back to Britton, with further revelations of 33 videos of similar content being uploaded from the same account. Arrested on February 8, 2024, Britton's cell phone was found to contain 896 images of child sexual abuse, alongside evidence of a program used to erase such files.
Federal law dictates that Britton serves 85 percent of his sentence. Post-release, he will undergo 15 years of supervision under the U.S. Probation Office.
The sentencing was announced by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Quincy Barnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge from the FBI's Louisville Field Office; and Sheriff Les Hill from the Boone County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI and Boone County Sheriff's Office led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow prosecuting.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice against child sexual exploitation and abuse, active since May 2006. The program coordinates resources to identify and prosecute those who exploit children online and to rescue victims.