Cape man sentenced to 30 years in child pornography case

A Cape Girardeau man has been sentenced to three decades in prison in a federal child pornography case.

Steven Lee Brown, 33, was ordered to prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography. The sentencing took place at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, with U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. presiding. Brown's conviction followed an investigation by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The case began when the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office received a report of Brown's sexual abuse of a 10-year-old child last May. The child confirmed the abuse during an interview. Officers responded to Brown’s residence, where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with the child and using his cell phone to record some of the activity. The phone was seized, revealing sexually explicit images of the minor. Brown admitted to producing the material during his guilty plea hearing in December.

After serving his 30-year sentence, Brown will be subject to lifetime supervised release. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester prosecuted the case for the government.