A Missouri resident has been sentenced in federal court in Portland, Maine, for advertising child pornography on the dark web. Larry Stendebach, 60, received a sentence of 17.5 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to the charges on April 27, 2025.
Court documents show that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Portland began investigating a dark web site focused on child sexual abuse in May 2024. They identified a profile belonging to Stendebach with more than 1,000 posts dating back to December 2022. Agents reviewed several links posted by Stendebach that contained videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children.
In August 2024, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Stendebach’s home in Hannibal, Missouri. During an interview after the search, Stendebach admitted to using the profile on the dark web.
HSI led the investigation into this case.
“Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as ‘child pornography’ – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.”
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
