Deatsville Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

            Montgomery, Alabama – On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, Hunter Lavon Brown, a 26-year-old from Deatsville, Alabama, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. and FBI Special Agent in Charges James Jewell. In addition to his six and a half year prison sentence, Brown was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

            The investigation began on January 10, 2019, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber-tip from Google that there was possible child pornography materials being uploaded to a Google Photos account. This information was forwarded to the FBI who identified Brown’s address as being involved in the uploads. Agents also discovered that the Google account was registered to Brown with an email address associated with him. Then, on August 22, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Brown’s residence and seized a number of electronic devices. During the search, Brown admitted to the agents that they would find child pornography images on the devices being taken. The FBI reviewed the materials they found and identified suspected child pornography images, which was later confirmed by NCMEC. Further forensic analysis of the electronic devices revealed that Brown knowingly searched and downloaded child pornography, which he admitted when he pleaded guilty to the charges. He also admitted that some of the child porn images contained beastiality. During the sentencing hearing, the judge expressed concern that Brown had previously been exchanging text messages with minor children and actually arranged to meet with a 17-year-old girl before backing out.

            “Child pornography is a despicable crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “Defendants like Brown participate in an industry that targets and exploits innocent children. Crimes like these inflict lasting harm on victims. My office will continue to work with law enforcement to protect our children and bring to justice those that harm the young.”

            “The FBI will continue to devote resources to these cases and appreciates the partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” said Special Agent in Charge Jewell. “The prison sentence imposed by the court will help safeguard the children of our communities.”

            The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated this case, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Assistant United States Attorney Russell Duraski prosecuted the case.