Hall Gets 61 Months for Child Porn

VALDOSTA, GA – Michael Dawes Hall, 25, of Tifton, Georgia, will spend the next five years and one month behind bars for possessing horrific images of child exploitation. Hall received the sentence on July 29, 2013, from U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson in Valdosta, followed by a staggering 25 years of supervised release.

The case began with a “cyber tip” from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, alerting authorities to Hall’s online activity. Investigators traced an email address associated with Hall to the uploading of disturbing images and a video to an online social networking group. The material depicted prepubescent minors and children under the age of twelve engaged in sexually explicit acts of a sadistic and masochistic nature. Hall pleaded guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, admitting to possessing computers containing the illegal content.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore didn’t mince words when discussing the sentence. “Every time Mr. Hall looked at these images and every time he uploaded the pictures and videos, he re-victimized these children,” Moore stated. “My office will use every resource we have to find and prosecute defendants like Mr. Hall. After all, if we are not willing to fight to protect our kids, what is worth fighting for?”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spearheaded the investigation, meticulously building a case against Hall. Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers successfully prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The investigation highlights the FBI’s commitment to tracking down and dismantling networks involved in the creation and distribution of child pornography.

This sentence sends a clear message: the exploitation of children will not be tolerated. While 61 months is a significant term, the long 25-year supervised release period underscores the severity of the crime and the potential for continued monitoring of the offender. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on similar instances of online exploitation.

Anyone with information regarding child exploitation is urged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or their local FBI field office. For media inquiries regarding this case, contact Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.

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