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Press Release

Lexington Man Sentenced 10 Years for Distributing Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky

LEXINGTON — A 23-year-old Lexington man, who previously admitted to distributing child pornography images on the internet, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison. 

On Wednesday, U.S. Chief District Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced Joshua Gilley, ordered him to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, and ordered that he register as a sex offender, following his release from prison.  Under federal law, Gilley must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.

According to his plea agreement, between 2012 and 2013, Gilley distributed numerous child pornography images to others, via email.  Gilley admitted that a search warrant at his home revealed thousands of child pornography images, including more than 900 sexual abuse images of prepubescent children. 

The case started when an FBI investigator noticed child pornography images being distributed online.  The FBI later traced the source of those images to a computer that was operated by Gilley.

Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Howard Marshall, Special Agent in Charge, FBI; Mark Barnard, Chief of Lexington Police; and Rodney Brewer, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section, the Lexington Police, and the Kentucky State Police’s Electronic Crime Branch.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Marye prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.

Updated February 18, 2016

Topic
Project Safe Childhood