Museum Guard Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Receiving And Possessing Child Pornography

HUNTSVILLE – A federal judge today sentenced a former museum security guard to more than eight years in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and U.S. Postal Inspector R. Frank Dyer.

U.S. District Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. sentenced LOYD JEFFREY HITT, 53, of Center Point, on one count of receiving child pornography between May 2009 and October 2012, and on one count of possessing child pornography within that same time period. Hitt pleaded guilty to the charges in February. Judge Smith sentenced Hitt to 97 months in prison on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.

According to court records, Hitt made a series of purchases of videos and photographs through the mail beginning in 2009, and also received images of child pornography over the Internet. Hitt had the mail orders shipped to his long-time workplace, the Birmingham Museum of Art. The videos and photographs contained pornographic images of underage boys, some younger than 14.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Buchanan and Laura Hodge prosecuted the case.