U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Capers Scott Hammond (35, Bradenton) to five years in federal prison for the receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Hammond was mandated to pay $5,000 in restitution, a $30,000 fine, and would be obligated to register as a sex offender. The court mandated Capers Scott Hammond to relinquish an iPad, three thumb drives, a MacBook, a custom PC tower, and an iPhone, all of which are linked to the proceeds of the offence. Capers Scott Hammond submitted a guilty plea on February 13, 2025.
Court filings indicate that Capers Scott Hammond utilised a file-sharing network to disseminate and acquire CSAM. In accordance with a search warrant, law enforcement conducted a search of Capers Scott Hammond’s apartment, confiscated multiple electronic devices, and established that he had received and had seven photographs and four films of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation into this matter. The prosecution was conducted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
This case was initiated under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative established in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address the escalating crisis of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood, spearheaded by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), consolidates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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