Former Fort Gordon soldier sentenced to federal prison for distributing child pornography

AUGUSTA, GA:  A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting he distributed child pornography.

Joshua Gamble, 30, of Fort Gordon, was sentenced to 180 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Gamble to pay a fine of $5,000, to serve 20 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, and to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Joshua Gamble could have served honorably in the military, but instead served his own depravity by using the internet to exploit vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our vigilant law enforcement partners continue to perform outstanding work in identifying and shutting down these predators.”

As described in court documents and testimony, in 2021 FBI agents were investigating reports of illegal distribution of child pornography via an Internet chat application. After searching Gamble’s room in a Fort Gordon barracks, Agents arrested Gamble in October 2021. The investigation also determined that prior to joining the U.S. Army in May 2021, Gamble worked as a middle-school paraprofessional in Minnesota. 

“This sentence should send a clear message to anyone who would try to take advantage of innocent children,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Gamble’s 15 years in prison will give him plenty of time to think about his unacceptable behavior, but more importantly while in prison, he won’t be able to do harm to any more children.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.