GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) -- A repeat sex offender will spend 15 years in prison after his most recent conviction in a case out of Randolph County, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Michael Scott Kivett, 41, was previously convicted in Guilford County of multiple counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor in 2001 and, again, in 2009. As a result, he was required to register as a
sex offender.
In September 2019, Google made a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child pornography images were uploaded to a Google Photos account.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Computer Crimes Unit received the tip and directed it to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Joshua Hartong determined that the Google account belonged to Kivett. In November 2019, investigators seized Kivett's phone.
On the phone, investigators found 108 images and 126 videos depicting child pornography.
Kivett admitted to viewing and downloading child pornography using a foreign cloud-based instant messaging application that offers end-to-end encrypted "secret" chatting.
Kivett was arrested and detained on state charges.
In February, Kivett pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography after having already been convicted of a child pornography offense.
He was sentenced on Wednesday.
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