District Sentencing

N.D. Ind. · Child PornographyFY2018–FY2025

Districts › Northern District of Indiana

Child Pornography in the Northern District of Indiana

N.D. Ind. · Seventh 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.

12cases, FY202579 over FY2018–FY2025
91median prison monthsnational, this offence: 96
46%within guideline rangenational 33%
100%cases with a prison termnational 99%

§ 1Length of prison terms

<10
<10
<10
51%
20%
14%
<10
median 91 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 (79 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: child pornography offences nationally.

Interquartile range 72–150 months; mean 115. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

79 child pornography offences were sentenced in the Northern District of Indiana across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 12 of them in FY2025; that is 3% of the district's caseload.

The median prison term was 91 months (7 yr 7 mo), close to the national median for child pornography offences (96 months) and close to the Seventh Circuit median (99). Half of prison terms fell between 72 and 150 months; 100% of cases carried a prison term.

46% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 33%); 19% were below the range on a government motion and 32% below it for other reasons.

FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (12 against 18). The median prison term in FY2025 (140 months) was longer than in FY2018 (75 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 46%Above range <10Below range, government sponsored 19%Below range, other 32%Not determinable 0

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

MeasureN.D. Ind., child pornographyN.D. Ind., all offences7th Cir., child pornographyUS, child pornography
Cases per fiscal year10312851,334
Share of district caseload3.2%100%——
Median prison months91579996
Mean prison months11583—111
Cases with a prison term100%88%—99%
Within guideline range46%47%33%33%
Above range—2%5%3%
Below range, government sponsored19%23%20%24%
Below range, other32%28%42%40%
Median final offence level3021—30

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

18
10
<10
<10
10
11
10
12
’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Child Pornography cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)
75
78
<10
<10
91
108
120
140
’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)
Fiscal yearCasesPrisonMedian monthsWithin rangeBelow, gov.Below, otherAbove
FY201818100%75————
FY201910100%78———0%
FY2020<10fewer than 10 cases
FY2021<10fewer than 10 cases
FY202210100%91————
FY202311100%108———0%
FY202410100%120————
FY202512100%140———0%

§ 6Criminal history

Category I72% · 73%
Category II<10
Category III14% · 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

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 Northern District of Indiana?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 91 months (7 yr 7 mo), with the middle half of terms between 72 and 150 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?

19% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 32% below it for other reasons; 46% 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 higher than the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §2G2.2, §none 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 Northern District of Indiana

§ 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 49. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.