Pearland crime: Man sentenced 40 years for creating, possessing child pornography

A Brazoria man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for creating and possessing child pornography. Sean Michael Kriss ,40, admitted guilt on June 1, 2022.

A joint investigation conducted by the Pearland Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Kris shared a Snapchat video he created featuring a minor female. A search warrant was obtained for his residence, and child pornography videos and images were found on his electronic devices. In total, 408 images and two videos depicted the minor victim.

U.S. Attorney Hamdani emphasized the need to take action against those who share or produce child pornography.

"Individuals, like Kriss, who produce child pornography and share it with perverted like-minded individuals need to be stopped," said Hamdani. This sentence will help to do that. The exploitation of children has no place in our community and my office will vigorously pursue prosecution of anyone involved in the production and distribution of child pornography to the fullest extent of the law."

He was charged with sexually exploiting a child and one charge of possessing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown has now imposed a 480-month prison sentence, with 360 months for child pornography production and 120 months for possession. These sentences will be served consecutively. 

The court considered additional information during the hearing. This included a letter from the victim's mother describing Kriss' actions' impact on their family. This caused stress, anxiety, and loss of security. The court noted that Kriss targeted a vulnerable victim.

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In addition to the prison term, Kriss has been ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release. During this time, he must adhere to various restrictions limiting his access to children and the internet. He is also required to register as a sexual offender.

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Kriss will remain in custody until transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined soon.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherin Daniel and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. This is a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children while also identifying and rescuing victims.