A Richardson man, Justin Philip Ciruti, was found guilty on March 19 of distribution and possession of child pornography in the Eastern District of Texas, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
The conviction follows a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan. The case highlights ongoing efforts to address crimes involving the exploitation of children online.
Court information showed that in September 2024, a social media platform reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had distributed child pornography through direct messages. The Richardson Police Department received this referral and traced the activity back to Ciruti’s residence in Richardson.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Ciruti’s home on December 2, 2024, recovering electronic devices containing about 200 images and approximately 200 videos depicting child pornography. These files were found stored in various locations on the devices, including encrypted applications and video players. Investigators also recovered the specific video file originally reported by the social media platform.
Under federal law, Ciruti faces up to 20 years in prison for each count at sentencing. The actual sentence will be determined by the court after consideration of advisory guidelines and statutory factors following a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.
