60-year-old Pensacola man to serve 32 years in prison for uploading 100+ child porn files
A 60-year-old Pensacola man was sentenced to spend the next three decades in a Florida prison after a judge levied a sentence Friday afternoon for sharing over 100 files of child pornography.
J Bant Sexson was ordered to serve 390 months in Florida's Department of Corrections, the lowest permitted sentence, for his 15 counts of possessing child pornography. Some of the files included children as young as 5 years old.
Sexson did not have any family attend his sentencing hearing.
He was allowed a chance to speak to the court prior to being sentenced, using the time to ask for a "chance to redeem" himself from what he did. He then simply said, "I'm ashamed of myself."
Sexson arrested: ECSO arrests Pensacola man for allegedly uploading over 100 files of child sex abuse
Originally charged with 20 counts of possessing child pornography, he faced a maximum of 300 years in prison, but after taking a deal in which he pleaded guilty, court records show he then only faced a maximum of 225 years in prison.
In return for his plea agreement, the Office of the State Attorney announced it would drop five of the child porn charges and his two possession of a controlled substance charges.
Sexson was sentenced to 16.25 years in prison on count one, then when that term is over he faces an additional 16.25 years for the remaining charges.
How did law enforcement find Sexson's stash of child porn?
On Oct. 13, 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent the Escambia County Sheriff's Office a CyberTipline report generated after Sexson uploaded 113 child sex abuse files to "a commonly used file storage account."
After deputies reviewed the files, they determined the report met the statutory definition of child sex abuse material.
Sexson's cell phone number was reportedly listed in the storage account where the files were found, leading to investigators discovering the IP address used for the uploads was the residence where Sexson lived.
Once deputies executed a search warrant at Sexson's address, they reportedly discovered several child sex abuse material files.
"Sexson III provided extensive detail on how he obtains pornographic files of adults, and the forensic analysis indicated that Sexson III actually utilized these methods to obtain files of child sex abuse material and files of child erotica," his arrest report states.
According to Sexson's arrest report, one of the files discovered even depicted a child engaged in bondage. The prosecutor on the case said that child appeared to be under the age of 10.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola man J Bant Sexson sentenced for sharing child porn files
