Press Release - Department of Justice

United States Attorney Eric Melgren

District of Kansas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2006
News releases are available at www.usdoj.gov/usao/ks/
Contact: Jim Cross
Phone: (316) 269-6481
Fax: (316) 269-6420

WICHITA MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 19 YEARS IN PRISON ON CHILD PORN CHARGES

WICHITA, Kan. - Steven C. Perrine, 53, was sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S.

Attorney Eric Melgren of the District of Kansas announced today.

Perrine was convicted in June 2006 on four counts including one count of distributing child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.

"Mr. Perrine was on probation from a prior conviction for the sexual exploitation of a minor when he was arrested in this case," said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren. "He had seven computer hard drives containing thousands of images of child pornography."

Evidence presented at trial showed that Perrine used the name "stevedragonslayer" in a Yahoo chat room on Sept. 2, 2005, when he played videos containing child pornography for another Yahoo user who was in contact with him from Pennsylvania via computer. The other Yahoo user alerted police in Pennsylvania. Investigators followed an electronic trail to Perrine, who was a subscriber to Internet service provided by Cox Communications.

Investigators determined that Perrine had pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2003, in Sedgwick County District Court to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. On Dec. 22, 2005, investigators served a search warrant at Perrine's home in Wichita where they seized firearms as well as two computers containing images of child pornography.

Melgren commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wichita Police Department and the Exploited and Missing Child Unit (EMCU), as well as the Moon Township Police Department and the Leetsdale Police Department in Pennsylvania, all of which investigated the case.