Attorney Prim F. Escalona | U.S. Department of Justice
A New Hope resident has admitted guilt in a case involving cyberstalking, extortion, and the production of child pornography. Donald Wayne Carmody, 30, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Carmody faced charges including cyberstalking, two counts of extortion, and two counts of producing child pornography. The plea agreement detailed how Carmody used anonymous messages to coerce a woman into sending intimate photos under threat of public exposure online. He also accessed her social media accounts without permission.
Following his arrest on cyberstalking and extortion charges, investigators found a USB drive with images of child pornography involving victims under twelve years old. The FBI's Video Forensic Analysis Unit linked these images to Carmody through hand comparison.
The plea agreement includes a proposed sentence of 480 months in prison for the offenses. Should the court reject this sentence, either party may withdraw from the agreement.
The penalties for Carmody's charges are severe: up to five years for cyberstalking, two years for extortion, and thirty years for producing child pornography. Each charge also carries potential fines up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is leading the prosecution.
In response to issues like this case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has collaborated with the National Children’s Advocacy Center to create educational videos on sextortion prevention available on YouTube.
Anyone suspecting sexual exploitation of children is urged to contact law enforcement or report it through official channels such as the FBI Birmingham Office or online at www.cybertipline.org.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation since 2006.
