Date: 04-03-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Stephen Philip Keller

Case Number: 4:22-cr-00136

Judge: Andrew S. Hanen

Court: The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Harris County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Houston

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Houston, Texas criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with elderly sex offenses.

Convicted elderly sex offender heads to prison for next decade

A 74-year-old Kingwood resident has been sentenced for possessing and watching sexually explicit material involving minors over a web video meeting, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Stephen Philip Keller pleaded guilty Nov. 27, 2023, to one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of the plea, the court heard that Keller is a repeat offender against minors. He was convicted in 2001 for criminal solicitation of a minor.

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Keller to serve two 120- month prison terms concurrently for the accessing with intent to view and possession of child pornography convictions. Keller was further ordered to serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Keller is also a registered sex offender and will continue to be so following his sentence.

In March 2021, Keller logged into in a web video meeting which included more than 20 minutes of child pornography videos. The investigation identified Keller as one of several participants in the meeting.

In February 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Keller’s residence. At that time, he admitted to participating in more than five web video meetings which involved the streaming of child pornography. Keller also admitted to receiving child pornography through encrypted messaging apps on his cellphone.

Authorities also conducted a forensic investigation and discovered several illicit images of minors on Keller’s phone.

Keller will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 120- month prison terms concurrently. Keller was further ordered to serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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