Amory Man Sentenced for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

Aberdeen, MS - An Amory, Mississippi man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, William Hadley Maddox, 24, was sending child pornography to a minor over an Internet application. Maddox was also receiving images of the minor engaged in sexually explicit activity.

Senior Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Maddox to the statutory maximum of 240 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Maddox will be required to register as a sex offender anywhere he resides, is employed, or is enrolled as a student.

"The defendant in this case has learned the valuable lesson that there is absolutely zero tolerance in this district for the sexual exploitation of any minor," said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. "The cooperation between Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook's office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was exemplary and their determination to protect children is evident in their actions."

"Due to the extreme nature of this case, I truly feel like a child's life was saved by the quick response and partnership between our local investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office," stated Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook. "We are thankful to be part of a team of people who are as passionate as we are about protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.