Defendant Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Brandon Meredith Hardy, 23, Moody Air Fprce Base, Georgia, was sentenced on Monday, October 28, 2013, by the Honorable Hugh Lawson, Senior United States District Judge, in Valdosta, Georgia, for possession of child pornography. Mr. Hardy was sentenced to serve 108 months’ imprisonment. Once Mr. Hardy is released from prison, he will be under supervision for 15 years and will be monitored as a registered sex offender.

Mr. Hardy entered a plea of guilty on July 17, 2013, to one count of possession of child pornography. In his plea, Mr. Hardy admitted that in September 2010, during his time as an airman at Moody Air Force Base, he used a computer at the base to search for and download child pornography. As part of an undercover investigation, a federal search warrant was executed on Mr. Hardy’s room on November 4, 2010. During the search, agents located a computer and thumbdrive containing images of prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12 years engaged in sexual acts with adult males.

“Mr. Hardy caused the young children in these disgusting images to be re-victimized every time he looked at the pictures. Possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime, and the Department of Justice will use all of its resources to make sure that people like Mr. Hardy don't have the opportunity to harm our children,” said United States Attorney Michael Moore. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers.

Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.