HOUSTON – A 29-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced to federal prison following her conviction on four different child pornography convictions, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Elexis Kiera Sidney pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child as well as distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography May 24, 2022.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Sidney to serve a total of 480 months in federal prison – 360, 120, 120 and 120 months for the sexual exploitation of a child, distribution, receipt and possession convictions, respectively. The distribution, receipt and possession convictions will run concurrently for a total of 120 months which will run consecutive to the 360 months imposed in the sexual exploitation of a child conviction for a total of 480 months. At the hearing, the court heard from the mother of a three-year-old relative that Sidney had recorded herself sexually abusing. This woman detailed how she felt betrayed by what Sidney did to her daughter when she was supposed to be babysitting her.
During the hearing, the court noted a psychological evaluation Sidney underwent in which the doctor concluded she was at an average to high risk to reoffend. The court also heard how Sidney has a strong interest in children and has had since she was 10-years-old.
Sidney was further ordered to pay $18,ooo in restitution to the victims and will serve the rest of her life on supervised release for the sexual exploitation conviction following completion of his prison term. During that time, she will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict her access to children. Sidney will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“The depravity of what this woman did to her own relatives – two and three-year-old children – is abhorrent,” said Hamdani. “Instead of protecting the toddlers, she used them to feed her sick sexual deviancy, one she displayed on social media. Thankfully, we can now protect these young lives and mitigate future dangers by helping put Sidney where she belongs for the next few decades – behind federal prison bars.”
Sidney came to the attention of law enforcement in December 2018 when authorities had observed her posting sexually-explicit material involving children in a private Kik chat group.
After posting an image of herself naked in the bathroom, she then posted a video of herself again in the same situation. However, this time, a nude, pre-pubescent male child approximately two years of age was with her while she was touching herself. Other videos included the minor and Sydney touching each other in a sexual manner.
On Dec. 10, 2018, authorities went to her residence, at which time she admitted to creating the videos and utilizing the Kik account. At the residence at the time was the minor victim who was identified as her relative.
A forensic examination of her electronic devices and online storage account revealed Sidney had been distributing and receiving child pornography in the Kik chat group since November 2018. Authorities also found additional images and videos of Sidney sexually abusing the same minor victim as well as two images of a three-year-old minor relative.
Law enforcement also found approximately 100 images and 120 videos of child pornography.
Sidney will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
