NEW BERN, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Eastern), published as received.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Kyle Kenneth Castino, 36, to over 16 years in federal prison followed by 8 years of supervised release, and $35,000 restitution for Distribution of Child Pornography.  

“This crime exhibits stunningly disgusting antisocial behavior. Anyone who would descend to such dark depths of depravity should never walk freely amongst our children and families, ever again. Thanks to the identification of this spider and robust investigation by our law enforcement partners, we have stomped out this spider for the next two decades, and in reality, forever.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.

The State Bureau of Investigations, the Garner Police Department, and the Selma Police Department investigated Inmate Castino after Facebook and Google reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that one of their users had uploaded child sexual abuse to their platforms. The IP address linked back to Inmate Castino at his Garner home. When the Garner Police Department learned Inmate Castino had moved to Selma, Selma PD and SBI executed a search warrant on Inmate Castino’s house. The search led to the seizure of digital devices that contained child sexual abuse materials. Inmate Castino admitted he had perverted sexual interest in children, and they found child sexual abuse material on his phone and thumb drive and in various digital devices in a lockbox inside his house.  Additionally, law enforcement discovered Inmate Castino had produced images with a child. He possessed almost 385,000 images and over 3,000 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. 

W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan handed down the sentence. Garner Police Department, Selma Police Department, and the SBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-230-FL-BM.