Thursday, November 22, 2018

Anchorage Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography


Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Stuart Gregory Ravn, 30, of Anchorage, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of a child – possession of child pornography.  Ravn was arraigned this morning before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith, and was ordered detained pending trial. 

The indictment alleges that on Oct. 23, 2018, Ravn knowingly possessed or accessed with intent to view, by means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, matter that contained visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, located on a computer or digital device.  It is further alleged that the visual depictions of such conduct were of minors under the age of 12.  

If the public has any further information or concerns about the activities of Ravn, please contact the FBI at (907) 276-4441.

If convicted, Ravn faces a statutory minimum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.  Ravn has a previous conviction with the State of Alaska for possession and distribution of child pornography.

The Anchorage Police Department (APD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the State of Alaska Department of Corrections, Anchorage Adult Probations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Anne Veldhuis.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In May 2006, DOJ launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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