Former Sacramento Resident Charged with Sexually Exploiting a Child
SACRAMENTO, Calif. / Wednesday, September 16, 2026 — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment on Sept. 3, 2026, against Richard Louis Styrsky, 54, formerly of Sacramento and currently of Fountain Valley, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between 2023 and 2025, Styrsky produced multiple video files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Styrsky and the minor child resided in Sacramento at the time of his alleged conduct.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force conducted this investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Ray and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Styrsky faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California
