GALVESTON, TEXAS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Texas, Southern), published as received.
GALVESTON, Texas – A 59-year-old Hitchcock resident has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography.
Peter Michael Ryan IV admitted he received, possessed, and shared child sexual abuse material through multiple online platforms, including the Verizon Cloud, Snapchat, Google, and Telegram. Ryan distributed the material from at least April 2021 until law enforcement searched his home in April 2023. Investigators found that Ryan possessed more than 7,500 videos and images of child sexual abuse material in his possession.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown will impose sentencing on Dec. 1. At that time, Ryan faces up to 40 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 20 years for possession of child pornography. He also faces a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Ryan has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hitchcock Police Department and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice 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.
