Leesburg Man Sentenced To 20 Years For Distribution Of Child Pornography

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges today sentenced David Meadows (53, Leesburg) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit various computers and electronic devices that he had used to facilitate the offense. Meadows pleaded guilty on March 17, 2017.

According to court documents, federal agents determined that Meadows had distributed child pornography depicting infants and toddlers via email. The agents traced the activity to Meadows’s residence and executed a search warrant. They also conducted a consent search of his office. Multiple electronic devices, including laptop computers and a cellphone, were seized; forensic analyses confirmed that the devices contained more than 2,800 files depicting child pornography.

"This sentencing underscores the seriousness of the crime of child exploitation," said Ivan J. Arvelo, acting special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "HSI special agents will aggressively investigate the predators who target the most vulnerable in our society."

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.