Michigan sex offender with 300 files of child porn sentenced to 15 years
Justin Zube, who was previously convicted of child porn charges, will spend 15 years in prison after being convicted of having more than 300 images and videos of child porn.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Bay City, Michigan, man who had previously been convicted on child porn charges will now spend 15 years in prison after he was convicted on child porn charges.
Justin Zube, 34, was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison after he was convicted by a federal jury of possessing child pornography of minors younger than 12.
According to U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison, Zube was arrested after Michigan State Police received a tip from Snapchat and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
As police investigated, they served a search warrant of his home in Bay City in February 2020. There, agents found multiple digital devices that contained over 300 images and videos of child pornography.
"Victims depicted in child pornography are not only victimized by their abusers, but also by the individuals who collect and view the images and videos," stated U.S. Attorney Ison. "My office appreciates the work of the FBI and Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Computer Crimes Unit for their dedication to investigating crimes against children and holding those who possess these images accountable."
Zube was convicted in 2014 of possession of child pornography and sentenced to four years in prison. According to MLive, Zube was arrested for that crime in 2012 when his girlfriend at the time discovered a USB with child porn on it. Investigators then found "a plethora of pornography in magazine, DVD and home photo formats," MLive reported in 2014.
"The possession of child sexual abuse material – images and videos of actual children being horrifically victimized by child predators - is not a victimless crime," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "The children portrayed suffer real and permanent damage for the rest of their lives. With yesterday’s sentence, Zube now faces the consequences necessary to protect the community from this serial offender."
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