Edward Paul Cragg, a 46-year-old resident of Turlock, California, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted for receiving images depicting the sexual abuse of minors. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, as announced by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. Cragg was found guilty by a jury on September 12, 2025.
In addition to the prison term—the statutory maximum—Cragg will serve a 10-year period of supervised release following his incarceration. During this time, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will face restrictions on his access to minors, computers, and the internet. The court also ordered the forfeiture of devices used in committing the offense and set an April 20, 2026 hearing date to determine restitution for victims.
Evidence presented at trial showed that between August 1, 2015 and March 1, 2016, Cragg used a file-sharing program to search for and save approximately 130 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Some videos involved infants or toddlers subjected to sadistic or masochistic abuse. Additionally, Cragg made hundreds of other videos showing child sexual abuse available to others through the same network during that period. When questioned by investigators about his actions, Cragg stated he viewed child pornography because it was “interesting . . . like a dead cat on the side of the road.”
The investigation was conducted by the Turlock Police Department with assistance from the Ceres Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower from the United States Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice—to address increasing incidents of child sexual exploitation and abuse online by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to find offenders and help victims. More information can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
