IE Woman Who Sexually Abused Infant Sentenced To 40 Years

LOS ANGELES, CA — A San Bernardino County woman was sentenced Monday to 40 years in federal prison for child sex abuse crimes, including taking custody of a baby in order to produce sexually explicit videos of the infant.

Monday's sentencing follows a four-day bench trial in November in which Stefani Kasey Marie Stevens, 31, of Yucaipa was found guilty of one count of obtaining custody of a minor with intent to produce child pornography, six counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips scheduled a restitution hearing for July 31.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, the investigation into Stevens began with an online trail.

From August 2019 to November 2019, law enforcement received information that two Kik online messaging application accounts associated with Stevens revealed uploaded child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement also found that a Google account linked to Stevens had uploaded seven sexually explicit images of the same victim, according to the news release.

In November 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at Stevens’ home. During subsequent interviews, the Yucaipa woman admitted to making sexually explicit videos of herself performing oral sex on an infant and that she took eight to 10 nude photographs with a second victim under the age of 12, the release stated.

Law enforcement accessed Stevens’ online accounts and learned that the day before creating the sexually explicit videos of the infant in May 2019, Stevens and a like-minded user had online discussions about how Stevens was "excited to take custody of the infant the next day so that she could create videos of herself engaging in sexual activity with the victim," the release continued.

Law enforcement also learned that, in addition to the sexually explicit videos of the infant, Stevens took sexually explicit photographs of the baby in June 2019 and of a second victim under the age of 12 in October and November 2018, all of which she stored in an online account, along with hundreds of other child pornography images and videos, according to the news release.

“This defendant has been punished for acting out her vile sexual fantasies on two children — one of them an infant,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a released statement. “Sexual exploitation of children is intolerable, and my office will aggressively prosecute these horrific crimes. Today’s significant sentence is yet another example of my office’s determination to hold accountable those criminals whose abhorrent conduct causes immeasurable trauma upon those who are among the most vulnerable people in our district.”

In a released statement, Eddy Wang, Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge, said, “Individuals that victimize innocent children will be aggressively pursued and held accountable for the heinous offenses they commit. This case and its prosecution should send a clear message, if you come after children, HSI and our partners will come after you.”

“The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department appreciates the work of all the investigators and prosecuting attorneys who worked on behalf of the victims to obtain justice,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. “Anyone who suspects a child is being victimized is urged to contact their local law enforcement agency or child protective services.”

After her prison release, Stevens will be placed on supervised release for the rest of her life.