Aubrey Cole Sentenced to 81 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

KNOXVILLE, TN—Aubrey Dean Cole, 79, of Rockwood, Tenn., was sentenced today to serve 81 months in federal prison and supervised release for the remainder of his life, as a result of a guilty plea entered on January 25, 2011, to an indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. The sentencing was held before U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan.

Cole came to the attention of law enforcement through an online investigation conducted by the Knoxville Police Department, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. A subsequent forensic examination found 72 images and 540 videos of child pornography on Cole’s computer equipment.

This case was part of the Department’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which targets individuals that produce, distribute and possess child pornography over the Internet. The indictment resulted from an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department, Harriman Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement also assisted with the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Frank M. Dale, Jr. represented the United States.