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You’d think that at some point the men (and sometimes women) involved in child pornography would realize the FBI will catch them.
The latest Valley resident to believe he could get away with exploiting children is headed to federal prison for 10 years.
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Forrest Awbrey, 29, a former janitor and Sunday school teacher at Fresno’s First Church of God, was sentenced Monday, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced in a news release.
Lifetime Supervised Release After Prison
Awbrey’s sentence includes registering as a sex offender and lifetime supervised release after prison.
According to a criminal complaint, Awbrey was detected by law enforcement investigators while sharing numerous child pornography files on the “dark web” from August through November 2016.
Recorded Videos at Home and Church
He admitted to investigating agents that he had used file‑sharing programs for several years to get child pornography. He also admitted he had attempted to make secret video recordings of females using bathrooms in his home and at his church. Agents said that he had unsuccessfully attempted to take photos of young girls by holding a camera beneath their skirts.
Court documents indicated that Awbrey also tried taking pictures of the girls’ private areas while he put on Biblical puppet shows.
Investigators said that more than 1,700 images of child pornography were found on Awbrey’s electronic devices.
Awbrey was convicted of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa, who specializes in child porn cases, was the prosecutor.