Recidivist Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man, who is a registered sex offender, was sentenced to federal prison today for possession of over 200 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

David Lee Cannon, 36, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release.

According to court documents, in February 2024, law enforcement officials discovered Cannon was collecting CSAM images during an investigation into Cannon’s uncle. Cannon sought images from his uncle over Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. Additional evidence of CSAM material was found after a search of Cannon’s devices.

Cannon is a registered sex offender after a 2009 conviction for possessing CSAM material.

“The pursuit of individuals who exploit and abuse children is our highest priority,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “With today’s sentence, Mr. Cannon will spend the next 10 years behind bars, unable to victimize any other children.”

“HSI leverages advanced technology and every resource within its legal authority to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who possess child exploitation and sexual abuse material,” said April Miller, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge. “Our unwavering commitment is to protect the most vulnerable and ensure that those who prey on children are held accountable.”

Cannon was arrested in Milwaukie, Oregon, after HSI agents tracked his cellphone.

Cannon was charged by information on April 28, 2025. On June 26, 2025, Cannon pleaded guilty to Possession of Child Pornography.

This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mira Chernick and Paul Maloney.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.