Cape man sentenced to 30 years in prison for possessing, producing child pornography
A Cape Coral man will face time in federal prison for making and having child pornography.
Joseph Andrew Spradlin, 41, of 2814 N.W. Fourth Ave., has been sentenced to 30 years for producing and possessing child pornography, according to officials at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell handed down the sentence on March 21.
Spradlin pleaded guilty on Dec. 9.
“Protecting our most vulnerable population, our children, is a top priority of this office,” acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow said on Tuesday. “The sentence imposed in this case should be a stark warning that we will prosecute individuals who prey upon our children to the fullest extent of the law.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Schmitz handled the case.
Defense attorney Brian Edwards represented Spradlin.
He did not return a message on Tuesday seeking comment on the sentencing.
According to a report, Cape Coral detectives executed a search warrant at Spradlin’s residence in May 2016 for possession of child pornography. Several electronic devices and thumb drives were seized.
The plea agreement states that the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force members obtained the warrant after downloading the pornography directly from Spradlin’s computer via a peer-to-peer network.
Contact was made with Spradlin, who reportedly advised that he resided at the home and he downloaded and viewed child pornography. Afterward, detectives left to further the investigation.
During a forensic preview of one of the thumb drives seized from the home, 14 sexually explicit pictures and one sexually explicit video of a young female were observed, the report states.
In total, the agents found over 65,000 images and 668 videos of child pornography on four thumb drives, according to officials at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Further investigation revealed that Spradlin had produced child pornography images and videos of an 8-year-old girl on at least two occasions.
The report states that the child was identified and interviewed. She disclosed to a child protection team case coordinator that Spradlin had touched her inappropriately and had taken pictures of her.
Based on the evidence, Spradlin was located at his home and taken into custody.
He was originally booked on 15 counts of obscene material possession possess promote present depict child sex conduct and two counts of cruelty toward child direct promote sexual performance by child, as well as one count of lewd lascivious molest victim less 12 years of age, according to the jail records.