OAKLAND — A Bay Space man has been sentenced to 6 years and three months in federal jail for exchanging specific content material with dozens of teenagers he met on-line, in accordance with court docket information.
Robert Taunton, 36, of El Sobrante, pleaded responsible to distribution and possession of kid pornography, and was sentenced on Oct. 18 by U.S. District Choose Jon Tigar. He has additionally been ordered to pay $15,000 in sufferer restitution and serve 5 years of supervised launch after his jail sentence.
Prosecutors mentioned that Taunton “successfully groomed 42 minor children into exchanging sexually explicit material with him,” primarily utilizing Instagram to speak with the victims, and infrequently posing as a teen to realize their belief.
“Taunton used translation services, flattery, and messages of purported love and caring to encourage young boys to produce CSAM of themselves,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Kelly Volkar wrote in a sentencing memo. “Yet, Taunton ignored claims from these minor children of abuse at the hands of parents, encouraged them to film themselves even while at school, and pressured at least one child who said he had never shared pictures of his genitalia with anyone else.”
When an undercover federal agent talked with Taunton on-line, he claimed a sexual curiosity in children as younger as 10, and actually possessed youngster sexual abuse materials depicting prepubescent youngsters, prosecutors mentioned.
Prosecutors requested for a seven-year jail time period and the protection requested a five-year jail sentence.
Taunton’s lawyer wrote in court docket filings that he was a “low risk” to re-offend and should take care of the stigma of being a intercourse offender for the remainder of his life. Taunton additionally wrote an apology letter to Tigar wherein he mentioned he was staying off the web.
“What I did and the trauma I inflicted on others weighs heavy on my shoulders and I wish I could take back what I’ve done,” Taunton wrote. “Words cannot express the amount of remorse I feel for the crimes I committed.”
