The sentencing of Michael David Crider Jr., a 38-year-old Point man accused of producing child pornography, took place in federal court in Tyler on Wednesday. Crider faced two counts of sexual exploitation of children, commonly referred to as production of child pornography, and two counts of transportation of child pornography. The indictment was handed down on June 8, 2022, and alleged that Crider used a child victim to produce explicit material earlier that same year.
In January, Crider entered a guilty plea for the first count of production of child pornography. During his sentencing hearing, the federal government and the defense reached a plea deal, agreeing to a 180-month imprisonment term for Crider. However, this deal was met with strong objections from the presiding judge, who deemed it too lenient and unjustifiable, falling below the recommended guidelines for such offenses.
During the proceedings, disturbing details emerged about the nature of the crimes committed by Crider. The judge revealed that the videos involved toddlers, a fact that contributed to the judge's disapproval of the proposed sentence. Under federal law, the maximum sentence for producing child pornography using children under the age of 12 is 360 months.
In response to the judge's rejection of the plea deal, Crider's defense team requested a 14-day motion of continuance to further review and reconsider their position. The defense will likely aim to negotiate a more appropriate sentence, given the gravity of the charges and the judge's stance.
Child exploitation and pornography cases are treated with the utmost seriousness in federal court, as they involve the exploitation and abuse of the most vulnerable members of society. Authorities are committed to bringing offenders to justice and ensuring that the appropriate punishments are imposed.
