M.D.N.C. · Child PornographyFY2018–FY2025

Districts › Middle District of North Carolina

Child Pornography in the Middle District of North Carolina

Q: What is the typical sentence for child pornography offences in the Middle District of North Carolina?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 87 months (7 yr 3 mo), with the middle half of terms between 66 and 144 months. 100% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for child pornography offences is 96 months.

Q: How often are child pornography offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

21% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 51% below it for other reasons; 28% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

Q: How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, child pornography offences had a median prison term of 96 months and a within-range share of 33% over the same period. The district's figures are close to on median term and lower than the national within-range share.

Q: Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2G2.2 and §2X3.1.

Q: Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

M.D.N.C. · Fourth Circuit · Child Pornography nationally

The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.

<10cases, FY2025109 over FY2018–FY2025

87median prison monthsnational, this offence: 96

28%within guideline rangenational 33%

100%cases with a prison termnational 99%

§ 1Length of prison terms

<10

50%

26%

<10

median 87 mo

under 6 mo6–11 mo1–2 yr2–3 yr3–5 yr5–10 yr10–15 yr15–20 yr20–30 yr30 yr+life

Share of cases with a prison term, by length of the term (109 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: child pornography offences nationally.

Interquartile range 66–144 months; mean 114. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

109 child pornography offences were sentenced in the Middle District of North Carolina across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), <10 of them in FY2025; that is 4% of the district's caseload.

The median prison term was 87 months (7 yr 3 mo), close to the national median for child pornography offences (96 months) and close to the Fourth Circuit median (84). Half of prison terms fell between 66 and 144 months; 100% of cases carried a prison term.

28% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 33%); 21% were below the range on a government motion and 51% below it for other reasons.

Caseload in FY2023 was about the same as in FY2018. The median prison term in FY2023 (141 months) was longer than in FY2018 (84 months).

These are aggregates of past cases. The guideline range for any case depends on its offence level, criminal history and statutory minimums, and the sentence on the court's findings; no figure here estimates an outcome.

§ 3Position relative to the guideline range

Within guideline range 28%Above range 0%Below range, government sponsored 21%Below range, other 51%Not determinable 0

§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation

Measure	M.D.N.C., child pornography	M.D.N.C., all offences	4th Cir., child pornography	US, child pornography
Cases per fiscal year	14	373	128	1,334
Share of district caseload	3.7%	100%	—	—
Median prison months	87	63	84	96
Mean prison months	114	82	—	111
Cases with a prison term	100%	91%	99%	99%
Within guideline range	28%	52%	30%	33%
Above range	0%	8%	2%	3%
Below range, government sponsored	21%	15%	15%	24%
Below range, other	51%	26%	54%	40%
Median final offence level	32	22	—	30

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Child Pornography cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

<10

120

141

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

Fiscal year	Cases	Prison	Median months	Within range	Below, gov.	Below, other	Above
FY2018	11	100%	84	—	0%	91%	0%
FY2019	19	100%	80	—	—	63%	0%
FY2020	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2021	22	100%	84	—	—	55%	0%
FY2022	21	100%	120	—	—	—	0%
FY2023	10	100%	141	—	—	—	0%
FY2024	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2025	<10	fewer than 10 cases

§ 6Criminal history

Category I69% · 73%

Category II15% · 11%

Category III<10

Category IV<10

Category V<10

Category VI<10

Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: child pornography offences nationally.

§ 7Guidelines applied

§none · 116 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2G2.2 Trafficking in material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor (child pornography) · 109 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2X3.1 Accessory after the fact · <10 cases in the district (all offence types)

Primary guidelines the Commission associates with this offence type, with the district's caseload under each across all offence types.

§ 8Questions and answers

What is the typical sentence for child pornography offences in the Middle District of North Carolina?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 87 months (7 yr 3 mo), with the middle half of terms between 66 and 144 months. 100% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for child pornography offences is 96 months.

How often are child pornography offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

21% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 51% below it for other reasons; 28% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, child pornography offences had a median prison term of 96 months and a within-range share of 33% over the same period. The district's figures are close to on median term and lower than the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2G2.2 and §2X3.1.

Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

§ 9Other offence types in the Middle District of North Carolina

§ 10Provenance

Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 7; district is CIRCDIST 21. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.