Hermitage Man Pleads Guilty ToDistribution Of Child Pornography

William John Patterson, 41, of Hermitage, Tennessee pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Nashville to distribution of child pornography, announced David Rivera, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

According to the plea agreement and other statements made during the hearing yesterday, on September 9, 2012, police were called to the home of William John Patterson in Hermitage, Tennessee, after receiving a report that Patterson had engaged in domestic violence, had sold and used drugs, and was in possession of child pornography.  Responding law enforcement officers from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department obtained and executed search warrants for Patterson’s home and mobile phone.  Analysis of the electronic equipment revealed that Patterson had obtained 7,300 images and approximately 300 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor children and many of the files were located in hidden or unexpected places on the computer. 

The examination further revealed that Patterson had been receiving such images since October 2009.  The collection predominately consisted of very young girls engaged in sexual activity, including toddlers and very young children being raped and tortured by a variety of methods.

Patterson was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2012.

Patterson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  A first offense of distribution of child pornography carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison.  Patterson is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Kevin H. Sharp, on September 23, 2013, at 3:30 p.m.

This matter was investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran Daughtrey.