Frazier Man Indicted for Child Porn Possession

United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced November 15 that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Steven Stitt, 54, of Frazier Park, with receiving and possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on or about March 1, 2007, Stitt received and was in possession of images involving the sexual exploitation of minors.

[Read the initial article: "Frazier Man Charged With Selling Pot To Minor"]

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

According to court documents previously filed in this case, on March 1, 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed a federal search warrant on Stitt's residence based on information that Stitt was in possession of child pornography during the course of a Kern County Sheriff's Department drug investigation. On-site forensic examination revealed numerous images of child pornography depicting the sexual exploitation of minors contained on Stitt's computer hard drive and CD's.

According to Deputy District Attorney David Wolf, of the Kern County District Attorney's Office, Stitt is in state custody, pending charges for three counts of criminal threats against law enforcement officers, in violation of California Penal Code 422.

On August 23, 2007, he was sentenced to four years in prison based on a conviction for possession of marijuana for sale, in violation of California Health and Safety Code Section 11358.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Sherrill A. Carvalho, who is prosecuting the federal case, if convicted of the charges as alleged in the federal indictment, Stitt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, for receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors. Possession of child pornography is punishable for up to ten years in prison.

Both offenses provide for a possible lifetime term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

However, the actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables, and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.