Judge Sentences Bridgeport Man Convicted of Possession of Child Pornography

Press Releases

08/02/2024

Judge Sentences Bridgeport Man Convicted of Possession of Child Pornography

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Bridgeport, CT) - Bridgeport Judicial District State's Attorney Joseph T. Corradino today announced that Paul Sykes, age 54, of Bridgeport was sentenced on August 1, 2024 by the Honorable Earl B. Richards III to 20 years to serve for a conviction after trial on Possession of Child Pornography in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §53a-196d. Evidence at trial showed the defendant was in possession of hundreds of images of child pornography. In sentencing Sykes to the maximum penalty, Judge Richards ran the sentence consecutive to an eight-year sentence Sykes is currently serving on a Violation of Probation for similar charges.

The six-person jury deliberated less than half a day before returning a guilty verdict after a week-long trial in May of this year. The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Tiffany Lockshier, with the assistance of Supervisory Inspector Richard Lindberg. Lockshier called six witnesses including personnel from the Connecticut State Police, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the Internet Crimes Against Children Forensic Laboratory.

During the sentencing hearing, Lockshier urged the court to impose the maximum sentence. She also read a statement from a young woman whose photos were among those found on Sykes' computer. "It's pretty clear that possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime," Lockshier told the judge.

Corradino praised Lockshier's willingness to undertake the prosecution of a traumatic case involving hundreds of images of sexually abused children. "Ms. Lockshier's courage and that of the investigative team enabled them to address distressing material with professionalism," Corradino said.

• Email
• Print