A resident of Byron, Georgia, Clarence L. Brown II, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell issued the sentence on March 5 after Brown pleaded guilty to the charges on December 19, 2024.
Brown's legal troubles began when he was caught downloading sexually explicit images of children while serving federal supervised release for a previous conviction related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This breach led to the revocation of his supervised release from a prior case in the Middle District of Florida, where he had pleaded guilty and was sentenced for one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography. For this violation, Brown received an additional ten-month prison term to be served consecutively.
Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker stated: "Viewing and sharing explicit images of children being sexually abused is a federal crime that our office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law." She emphasized that holding online predators accountable is a priority for federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners dedicated to protecting children.
GBI Director Chris Hosey remarked on the case as "a tragic reminder of the persistence of individuals who prey on children, despite previous consequences." He reiterated GBI's commitment to investigating such crimes alongside state, federal, and local law enforcement partners.
The investigation began on June 8, 2021, when a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit agent identified two video files downloaded by Brown depicting CSAM involving prepubescent girls and adult males. Subsequent searches at Brown’s residences uncovered several devices containing at least nine video files showing child exploitation.
Brown's criminal history includes a July 24, 2017 conviction for similar offenses in Florida's Middle District. After starting his supervised release in November 2020, he was found with further illicit material less than a year later in Georgia.
These cases fall under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project coordinates resources from various levels to locate offenders and rescue victims.
The case was investigated by GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit with assistance from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is handling prosecution duties for this matter.
