Port Charlotte man sentenced to 30 years in prison for child porn

Published: Updated:

FORT MYERS, Fla. A 27-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Brian Author Thomas, of Port Charlotte, was found guilty on Feb. 23 and was ordered to forfeit his laptop, computer and cellphone which were used to commit the crime, according to the Justice Department.

Thomas collected about 6,000 images and 35 videos that showed minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct between July 2012 and March 2016, a forensic analysis of his laptop and cellphone showed. FBI agents found some of those on a peer-to-peer file sharing program.

Thomas admitted to downloading inappropriate images and videos for a few years, the department said. He also admitted to living in a house with a girl and her parents and recording her while she slept.

Videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct were found on Thomas’ cellphone, the department said. The girl was 9 when Thomas began recording her.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.