Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Michael Conover (32, Plant City) to 20 years in federal prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse material. Conover was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Conover to forfeit an Apple iPhone, which was used in the commission of the offense. Restitution will be determined at a later time. Conover had pleaded guilty on September 1, 2022.
According to court documents, federal agents received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a user on a social media platform distributing images and videos of minors engaged in sexual activity. That same user was also the subject of an additional cyber tip which referenced the hands-on abuse of a child. Federal agents executed a search warrant on Conover’s cellphone and social media accounts and discovered that Conover had sent, received, and viewed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse.
“This predator traded child sexual abuse material of very young children online and has caused irreparable harm to his victims,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The abhorrent actions of child predators will not go undetected, and thanks to the painstaking, tireless efforts of the HSI Special Agents, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service, he will be held accountable for his actions.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Originally published at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/plant-city-man-sentenced-20-years-distribution-receipt-and-possession-child-sexual
