Clemency is legally available to any convicted federal offender, regardless of the offense. The right to petition for clemency is not forfeited by the nature of the conviction. What changes dramatically is the likelihood of it being granted.
For federal cases, clemency applications go through the Office of the Pardon Attorney, a division of the Department of Justice that reviews all petitions and makes recommendations to the President. The President of the United States is the only person who can grant federal clemency, whether as a pardon, a commutation of sentence, or a reprieve. Applications are submitted through that office, reviewed through a formal process, and all applicants receive a written response.
The practical reality is that child pornography convictions are among the hardest categories to receive clemency for, even without contact offenses. The political environment around these cases makes it extremely difficult for any president to grant clemency without significant public backlash. The non-contact nature of viewing versus production or direct abuse can be a mitigating argument in the application, but it does not fundamentally change how these petitions tend to be received.
That said, clemency decisions are unpredictable. Different administrations bring different priorities, and outcomes that seemed impossible in one political climate become possible in another. It is a long shot, but the application process exists and every applicant receives a response.
An attorney who specializes in federal clemency petitions can help build the strongest possible case.