Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Jefferson County man on child exploitation charges, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

United States District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced James Curtis Brasher, 49, of Warrior, to 78 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.  Brasher was also ordered to pay $69,000.00 in restitution to the victims.  Brasher pleaded guilty to this charge in November 2020. 

According to the plea agreement, Brasher accessed the Darknet through the use of the Tor application to view and obtain child pornography.   A forensic examination of the digital devices located at Brasher’s residence revealed over 58,000 images of child pornography, including images of children under the age of 12 years old, and child erotica.  This conviction will require Brasher to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case,  with the assistance of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Warrior Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case. 

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet,  and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.