A 34-year-old Batesville man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing material depicting child sexual abuse, federal prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. imposed the sentence in the Eastern District of Arkansas on Oct. 30. The defendant also received 10 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. Federal prisoners do not receive parole.
The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 3, 2025, on three counts: production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and attempted production of child pornography. He pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, to one count of production.
Investigation began with an online conversation
The case began with a private social-media conversation on Nov. 25, 2024. The defendant believed he was communicating with a parent who was alone at home with a minor, but the person was an undercover FBI agent, prosecutors said.
During the exchange, the defendant described sexual activity involving minors and offered to send the undercover agent photographs of a minor’s exposed genitalia. The conversation led investigators to seek a search warrant for his residence.
Investigators who searched the home found three electronic devices, including a blue Motorola cellphone identified as belonging to the defendant. A search of the phone located a video made on the day the warrant was executed that showed the defendant exposing a minor’s breasts and sexually abusing the minor, according to federal prosecutors.
The defendant’s criminal history includes convictions related to breaking or entering, distributing, possessing or viewing material depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, rape and engaging a child in sexually explicit conduct. The new sentence followed his guilty plea; he is presumed innocent of any charge for which there has not been a conviction.
- Sentence: 30 years in federal prison.
- Additional penalties: 10 years of supervised release and $3,000 in restitution.
- Investigation: The FBI used an undercover online operation and a subsequent search warrant.
Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence. The FBI investigated the case, and the federal prosecution proceeded in the Eastern District of Arkansas.
