Crime

St. Croix Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

ST. CROIX — A St. Croix man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after being convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material, following an investigation that began with a cyber tip from a major technology company and led to the discovery of thousands of illicit images. John Paul Cunningham, 31, was sentenced on January 12 to 84 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. The sentencing was handed down by Senior District Judge Wilma A. Lewis. The court will determine restitution at a later date. The investigation began on or about May 5, 2020, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip from Google regarding activity tied to a Gmail account linked to a user on St. Croix. The report indicated that the account had been used to view or upload what appeared to be child sexual exploitation material. Subscriber information provided to law enforcement identified the Gmail ...