Chatham County man sentenced to federal prison for receiving child pornography

SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving images of child sexual abuse.

David Johnathan Perry, 43, of Savannah, was sentenced to 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Perry to pay $55,000 in restitution and to serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Protecting our most vulnerable citizens is essential, and that includes preventing the spread of sexual abuse material depicting children," said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. "We commend the work of our law enforcement partners for their success in identifying and eliminating these threats."

As described in court documents and testimony, the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received multiple CyberTip reports identifying child sexual abuse material stored in a Google account registered to Perry's residence. Investigators searched the residence and seized multiple electronic devices found to contain thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography.

"Every time one of these images is shared or viewed it revictimizes an innocent child and makes the healing process start over again, that is why stopping those who traffic in these disturbing images of abuse so important," said Steven N. Schrank, acting special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to detect, investigate and prosecute those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable population."

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. Blanchard.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.