Paramedic Sentenced to 136 Months for Possession of Child Pornography

GAINESVILLE, FL—Octavius Lee Durdley, 31, of Gainesville, was sentenced yesterday to 136 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Pamela C. Marsh, Northern District of Florida.

Durdley, a former lieutenant with Bradford County Emergency Services, was convicted as charged following a jury trial on April 30, 2010, before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Stephan P. Mickle. During the course of his trial, evidence was presented that child pornography was first discovered on a thumb drive left at Durdley’s workplace in Bradford County. This led to the execution of a search warrant and the seizure of a large volume of child pornography at Durdley’s home in Gainesville.

Ms. Marsh praised the work of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, and the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, whose joint investigation led to the conviction and sentence in this case. Ms. Marsh stated, “I am grateful for their contributions and ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation and abuse.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.