ATHENS, Ga. — A Watkinsville, Ga. man convicted by a federal jury of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for his crime.
Eric Paul Krumm, 47, was sentenced May 4 by US District Judge C. Ashley Royal to 134 months in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release and $18,000 in damages to the victims. Krumm will have to register as a sex offender after his release from federal prison. Krumm was found guilty by a federal jury on April 27, 2022, on two counts of distributing child sexual abuse material and on one count of possessing child sexual abuse material. There is no probation in the federal system.
“We will not stop administering justice on behalf of children who have been victimized by criminal online predators,” said US Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Creating, distributing, downloading, and displaying child sexual assault material are heinous crimes that carry federal penalties.”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims. No child should be exploited online. By working with our law enforcement and prosecutor partners, we ensure offenders like this defendant are held accountable,” said GBI Director Michael Register.
In 2016, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) launched an investigation into downloads of alleged child sexual abuse material that was returned to Krumm. After this initial finding, ACCPD received 204 images and two videos containing child sexual abuse material that point back to Krumm’s IP address. The child sexual abuse material featured prepubescent girls and included sexual assault and harassment. A search warrant was executed by the GBI at Krumm’s home on February 15, 2017, and 11 electronic devices were seized, including laptops and hard drives. 56 images and a movie file found on Krumm’s electronics showing child sexual abuse material were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for comparison with the Child Recognition and Identification System (CRIS).
Krumm, a former system administrator for a multinational company, downloaded child sexual abuse material and distributed it via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. GBI investigators conducted an extensive forensic examination of Krumm’s electronics, which led to the discovery of evidence of his distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Justice Department in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the US Attorney’s offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Division, Project Safe Childhood provides federal, state, and local resources to track, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children and identify victims and to save. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and GBI with support from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Assistant US Attorney Michael Solis prosecuted the case.
