A Spring man was sentenced on April 1 to more than 13 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple child pornography charges, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Joshua Jerome Finney, age 41, admitted guilt on January 5. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal imposed a total sentence of 160 months in prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography, with the sentences running concurrently. The court also heard evidence about the lasting harm caused to victims and how Finney encouraged further abuse.
Finney was ordered to pay restitution and will serve ten years of supervised release after his prison term is completed. During this period, he must comply with restrictions designed to limit his internet access.
Authorities began investigating in December 2023 when they found child sexual abuse material on a dark web forum. The investigation led them to Finney through online communications where he discussed illegal activities involving minors and received explicit images and videos. A search warrant at his home resulted in the seizure of his cell phone, which contained hundreds of images and videos depicting children under twelve engaged in violent acts or bestiality.
Finney used messaging applications such as Telegram for receiving and distributing illegal content with others. He remains in custody awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The case was investigated by FBI - Houston and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo as part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation crimes.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has included notable figures such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick among its former leaders according to the official history page. The office operates locations across Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville as described on its official website. It serves under the Attorney General within the Department of Justice according to official information, employs over 200 attorneys covering a population exceeding nine million across forty-three counties as detailed online, focuses on prosecuting federal crimes as well as civil cases for the government according to its website, and has had leaders including Alamdar Hamdani from 2022–2025 as noted officially.
