Maricopa man sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing illicit pictures of children

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A Maricopa man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for possessing illicit pictures of children.

On February 27th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Jason Holmberg sentenced Azeri Hanson, 22, to ten years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime probation.

Hanson pled guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children; and two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in the Second Degree, both Class Three Felonies and Preparatory Dangerous Crimes Against Children.

In 2021, Homeland Security Investigations conducted an online investigation into a user suspected of uploading files to the internet which contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In March 2022, the internet provider identified the IP address as coming from Hanson’s residence. Investigators were also able to find a Twitter account posting the explicit material on the platform and also linked the account to Hanson’s address, according to court documents.

In June 2022, HSI agent and the Maricopa Police Department executed a search warrant on Hanson’s home. According to court documents, investigators located the relevant online network on the defendant’s device as well as additional illicit material involving children.

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