Melvin Janvier, 37, of Newark, Delaware was sentenced on January 23, 2025, to 135 months (11 years) in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), announced Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Following his time in prison, he will spend 15 years on federal supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Unit, with the assistance of State of Delaware Probation and Parole, arrested Janvier after an FBI Child Exploitation Task Force investigation indicated Janvier was in possession of and sending CSAM from Janvier’s cellphone through the Internet in July 2021.
Law enforcement later found over 2,000 files containing CSAM on Janvier’s phone. The files found on the device included images and videos of prepubescent minors, to include infants and toddlers, and materials portraying bondage and bestiality. Janvier had previously been convicted in 2016 in the State of Delaware for possession of and dealing in CSAM and served four years in prison.
In the 2016 case Janvier was sentenced to just four years in prison followed by probation. Janvier pled guilty to one count of Possession and one count of Dealing in Child Pornography in January 2016. An undercover investigation discovered Janvier uploaded images of child pornography to his online social media Kik account. Janvier was also ordered to register as a Tier 2 sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Our office is committed to protecting children and prosecuting those engaged in the sexual exploitation of minors through the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. I wish to thank the FBI and our Delaware law enforcement partners who tirelessly pursed this case.”
“There is nothing that can excuse Melvin Janvier’s sick behavior. Every one of the more than 2,000 images he possessed re-victimizes a child,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “FBI Baltimore’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to putting predators like Janvier behind bars where they can no longer hurt others.”
The FBI Baltimore Field Office, with the assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and the State of Delaware Probation and Parole, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Briana Knox prosecuted the case.