Press Release

Anchorage Man Sentenced To Eight Years For Distribution Of Child Pornography

November 22, 2017

(Anchorage, AK) – Christopher Sorrow, 38, was sentenced yesterday before Judge Kevin Saxby in the Anchorage Superior court on a consolidated count of Distribution of Child Pornography.

Sorrow was originally apprehended after investigators with the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Anchorage Police Department determined that he was sharing images and videos of child sexual exploitation from his home in Anchorage.

Sorrow pled guilty and as a condition of his plea, Sorrow specifically and knowingly stipulated that he had been engaging in a cycle of downloading, masturbating, and then deleting images of child sexual exploitation. Forensic examination of Sorrow's computer revealed the existence of file sharing software as well as 270 images and 37 videos of child sexual exploitation.

The sentencing range for a first time felony offender convicted of Distributing Child Pornography in Alaska is two to 12 years. Judge Saxby sentenced Sorrow to eight years with five years suspended and five years of supervised felony probation. Sorrow will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years. Judge Saxby found that "the prurient interest here was focused on the most vulnerable members of our society . . . and that interest feeds an industry that destroys young lives and causes lifelong harm to the exploited."

This case was investigated by the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Anchorage Police Department. According to Assistant Attorney General Thomas Aliberti who prosecuted the case, "continued pro-active peer-to-peer file sharing investigations are critical to identifying and prosecuting offenders who possess and distribute child pornography. The credit in this case goes to the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Anchorage Police Department."

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Thomas Aliberti @ (907) 269-6339 or thomas.aliberti@alaska.gov .

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.