A Valdosta man faces six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to possessing child porn, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
James Spencer Cochran, 50, of Valdosta was sentenced Wednesday, April 26, to serve 78 months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release and $4,500 in restitution to a victim after he pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal to one count of possession of child sexual abuse material on Sept. 20, according to a justice department statement.
In addition, Cochran will have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from federal prison.
According to court documents, in May 2018, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies investigated a complaint from a young woman who said a man was suspiciously taking photos of her with his cellular phone at the restaurant where she worked. Cochran was interviewed and consented to a search of his phone, where agents found photos of the woman, as well as photos of fully clothed, prepubescent females and girls younger than the age of 12, the justice department said.
A search warrant was executed and Cochran’s electronic devices, including a home computer and portable hard drives, were seized. Agents identified 16 videos and 87 images containing child sexual abuse material, mostly of minors younger than the age of 12, the justice department said.