Robert Quido Stella, a 50-year-old man and former Navy SEAL from Canyon Country, was found guilty in May 2023 of three counts of producing child pornography. The minimum sentence for such a crime is 15 years (per count), and a maximum of 30 years (per count), in federal prison. Prior to this decision, Stella pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of access with intent to view child pornography for logging on to the child pornography dark website. Both of these crimes carry a minimum sentence of five years and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

As such, Stella is looking at anything from 60 to 150 years in federal prison.

Former Navy SEAL Producing Child Porn

Two years ago, according to the court documents, Homeland Security Investigations received a tip that Stella had accessed a child pornography website on the dark web. Upon investigating the tip, Homeland Security Investigations agents found collections of child sexual abuse material on his computer and two external hard drives.

They also found hidden cameras that Stella placed in residential settings to film minor victims as they undressed to shower and used the bathroom. In total, they were able to locate 17 videos and over 100 screenshots from those videos on his hard drive. All of the child pornography, including the videos he produced himself, were filed under fictitious names, such as “federal contracts,” “tax returns,” and “coursework.” 

Working with a Knowledgeable Defense Attorney

Child pornography charges carry inherent biases, even though defendants are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. To combat this bias with the court, Attorney Vitaly Sigal of Sigal Law Group will create a strategic defense on your behalf. He is an incredibly knowledgeable and proficient criminal defense attorney who understands how overwhelming criminal charges are, even for repeat offenders, and will do everything possible to mitigate any negative consequences. Call (818) 325-0579 today for a free consultation.