Macon – A Macon man was sentenced to prison Monday after he pleaded guilty to possessing 36 images of child pornography.
As part of a plea agreement, 40-year-old Steven Charles Vanbibber pleaded guilty to 36 counts of sexual exploitation of children during a hearing in Bibb County Superior Court. He was sentenced to serve 55 years, with the first 15 years to be served in prison. While on probation, Vanbibber must abide by sex offender conditions. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
If the case had gone to trial, Chief Assistant District Attorney Nancy Scott Malcor would have presented evidence showing:
While investigating a related crime in April 2016, law enforcement officers searched Vanbibber’s cell phone and the computer at his home on Donnan Road in east Macon.
Deputies with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Forensics Unit found the 36 images of child pornography in a recent files folder on Vanbibber’s phone. The photos depicted pre-pubescent children, mostly toddlers and younger.
The GBI also found evidence that several hundred files with names consistent with child pornography had been deleted within days of Vanbibber learning about the investigation.
Speaking after the hearing, District Attorney David Cooke said, “Every image of child porn isn’t just a photograph, it’s an artifact commemorating a crime against a child. Any person who collects or distributes these images that celebrate the abuse of children should expect to join Mr. Vanbibber in prison.”
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Contact: Amy Leigh Womack
478-621-6179 (office)
478-319-2529 (cell)