A Newburgh, Indiana man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for the possession of child sex abuse materials.
A Wednesday news release from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana says that 30-year-old Anthony J. Richardson of Newburgh was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to the crime.
Court documents say a search warrant was served at Richardson's home in July, revealing more than 1,400 videos of child sex abuse on his computer. Investigators said that Richardson admitted to collecting the material for a long time.
“These abhorrent crimes will not go unpunished. Every day, pedophiles trade and view horrific depictions of child rape and sexual exploitation online,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The outstanding investigators of the Indiana ICAC Task Force work tirelessly to protect our children by identifying and arresting dangerous criminals who seek to prey on them. Serious federal sentences like the one imposed today should put potential offenders on notice: those who sexually abuse our children or trade in images of that abuse will be held accountable and sent to prison.”
“These types of cases are some of the most important to the FBI and our law enforcement partners as these images cause untold harm to the children depicted who are revictimized each time they are shared,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “This sentence shows the dedicated efforts of all who were involved in identifying and investigating the defendant to ensure he will no longer be able to exploit innocent children.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Richardson was also ordered to 10 years probation following his release from prison. He must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
