Oxford – James Thomas Arnold, 38, of Potts Camp, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.
The investigation began when law enforcement discovered Arnold used a peer-to-peer network to download videos and images of children, including minors under the age of 12, that depicted sexual abuse.
On May 1, U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Arnold to 15 years in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $41,500 in restitution to the victims identified in the offense. Arnold will also have to register as a sex offender upon release.
“Protecting children always has been and always will be a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud of the partnership with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the FBI that has yet again produced a lengthy sentence for an individual who views children as sexual objects.”
Arnold pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
“My office is committed to holding individuals who exploit children accountable for their crimes. Thanks to the diligent work of our cyber crime investigators, we successfully stopped a predator from doing more harm,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am grateful to our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work to secure this sentence. Together, we are making Mississippi a safer place for everyone.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens—our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Mr. Arnold’s sentencing underscores the seriousness of crimes against children and strengthens our dedication to holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure these predators are brought to justice.”
If you have information about a child being sexually exploited online, please report it to 1-800-843-5678. You can also make a report online at www.cybertipline.org. The hotline is manned by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and tips are reported to the Attorney General’s Office, which runs the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for Mississippi.
