A California man pleaded guilty Thursday in Florida to charges of transporting child sexual abuse materials. William Kameron Ellis Taylor, 29, of Chula Vista, California, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, with a maximum of 40 years, in federal prison.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Taylor was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents at Cape Canaveral after returning from an international cruise to the Bahamas.
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During the inspection, agents discovered a cellphone and an SD card in Taylor’s possession containing videos and images of child sexual abuse material.
Taylor has a prior conviction for possession of child sexual abuse materials from 2017 in the Southern District of California.
As a registered sex offender under federal law, he is required to inform authorities of any international travel plans. Investigators determined that Taylor had failed to notify his registering agency before leaving the country, a violation of his legal obligations.
This case was the result of a coordinated investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized the importance of this prosecution in combating the exploitation of children and enforcing strict compliance with sex offender registration laws.
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