Modesto man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child porn. How he was caught
A Modesto man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography on Monday as part of a plea deal, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Michael Brace, 33, was found in possession of a cell phone containing sexually explicit images of prepubescent girls discovered on a search warrant.
The warrant was issued after he traveled to Fresno with the intent to have sex with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl but was actually an undercover investigator with the Department of Homeland Security’s Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, court documents revealed.
Between August 2020 and January 2021, Brace received images of minors engaged in “sexually explicit conduct” and “violence being inflicted on victims.” Brace received these images from a user on the social media platform Skout, which was the site investigators used for their undercover sting.
Brace was previously arrested by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office in September 2020 on suspicion of sending harmful matter with the intent of seduction of a minor and contacting a minor with the intent for sex. That case was dismissed.
In addition to 10 years in federal prison, Brace’s sentence includes 10 years of supervised release during which his access to computers, the internet and minors will be restricted.
