Eastern District of California | Carmichael Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Child Pornography Offenses

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Sam Moss Kerfoot, 27, of Carmichael, charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in April and May 2022, Kerfoot sexually abused a minor and produced visual depictions of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Kerfoot is alleged to have distributed child pornography in April 2022 and possessed child pornography in June 2023.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force Internet Crimes Against Children unit including the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Alstyn Bennett are prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the charges as alleged, Kerfoot faces a minimum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison, a maximum of 50 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor; a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for distribution of child pornography; and a minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for possession of child pornography. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually…