Man serving 25 years for child porn sentenced for CSC.

Jeffrey Steiger appears in 51st Circuit Court via Zoom video conferencing.

Man serving 25 years for child porn sentenced for CSC.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

LUDINGTON — A 33-year-old Casnovia man who was sentenced last month in federal court to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography was sentenced in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Dec. 15, on two convictions of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Jeffrey Lee Steiger, whose last known address is 17320 Laketon Ave., pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography. He pleaded “no contest” in 51st Circuit Court to two counts of fourth-degree CSC.

In addition to 25 years in prison, Steiger, was also ordered to serve five years supervised release and pay $5,100 in special assessments and $3,140 in restitution.

He was indicted in June 2020 on three additional charges that were dismissed in a plea agreement, which include two counts of sexual exploitation of children – attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Investigators said Steiger secretly video-recorded his friend’s young daughter in a Pere Marquette Township home. He set up a hidden pen camera in April of 2018, and the camera was discovered in June of 2019.

A recording showed Steiger installing the camera. When confronted, he admitted to secretly recording videos of his friend’s wife and daughter, according to a sentencing memorandum.

Steiger, who worked as a truck driver, had no previous criminal record.

“The defendant primarily captured images of of minor children unclothed while they engaged in normal daily activities,” states the memo. “There is no other information he engaged in any sexual contact with minors that was physical in nature. He created these materials for his own sexual gratification. There does not appear to be any information he intended to distribute these images on the Internet, and he never received payment for such images.”

He was sentenced Nov. 16 by US District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo.

According to court records, Steiger was also in possession of more than 100 images of child sexually abusive material on his cellphone and/or iPad.

Judge Susan K. Sniegowski sentenced Steiger Tuesday to 60 days in jail with credit for 29 days served for fourth-degree CSC, which is a high-court misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison. Sentencing guidelines are 0-17 months.

“I accept all of the responsibility,” said Steiger, who appeared in court via Zoom video conferencing due to COVID-19. He said he had apologized to the victims and family members when he was in federal court. “I plan to get on with my life after I get out of prison.”

Steiger registered as a sex offender in August of 2020, said Spaniola.

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