Crime & Safety

St. Pete School Bus Driver Who Possessed Child Porn Gets Prison Time

Stephen Donald Kearney, 61, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A former school bus driver from St. Petersburg will spend seven years in federal prison after he was convicted of possessing thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Stephen Donald Kearney, 61, will also serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in August to receiving child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

According to prosecutors, the FBI searched Kearney's home in February 2022 and seized his computer. Investigators found thousands of images and various videos of child sexual abuse material, some of which featured children under age 12, authorities said.

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According to court documents, Kearney used a file-sharing platform on his computer to download the material.

Upon his release, Kearney will be required to register as a sex offender.

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