Juneau Sex Offender Thornhill Gets 21-Year Sentence for Child Pornography

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – The grim reaper of justice has claimed another victim in the Juneau sex offender saga. Jim Wayne Thornhill, a 40-year-old Juneau resident, was handed a severe sentence on Friday, February 16, 2018. U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Thornhill received a 262-month (21 years and 10 months) prison term, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for the receipt of child pornography.

On September 22, 2017, a federal jury didn’t flinch as they found Thornhill guilty after a five-day trial before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess. The case’s origins trace back to when the FBI was alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC). They zeroed in on Thornhill, who had previously been convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree in 2007.

Further investigation led to the discovery of child pornography material on a cell phone traced back to Thornhill’s employer. The FBI uncovered 581 images of child exploitation between November 3, 2014, and December 25, 2014, including graphic depictions of pre-pubescent children engaged in sexual acts.

Assistant United States Attorney Jack Schmidt, based in the Juneau Branch Office, handled the prosecution. The case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice’s initiative to combat child exploitation and abuse on the internet.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.