Fort Pierce man ordered to federal prison in FBI child pornography case
FORT PIERCE — A 29-year-old Fort Pierce man convicted in a child pornography case a federal prosecutor described as “exceptionally evil” will serve 25 years in prison, according to court records.
Michael Adam Carmody, of the 4800 block of Oleander Avenue in Fort Pierce, also was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervision following his release from federal prison.
He appeared July 15 before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce after pleading guilty to three felony counts in an April plea deal with prosecutors.
The government dismissed three additional felonies Carmody faced following his arrest by FBI agents in March 2021.
The FBI investigation, which began after a confidential informant provided a tip, involved Kik, a free instant message app. Those using Kik can trade images, videos and other items.
Federal records stated a witness reported in October 2020 to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that on Aug. 15, 2020, a Kik user identified as “JackJiggity” sent to the witness “a video of a child under the age of 4 being raped.”
Still photos also were sent.
In December, the witness submitted another tip and reported getting another extremely disturbing photo.
“(The witness) noted that JackJiggity previously told (the witness) how much he wanted to find a child to hurt,” a complaint affidavit stated.
Officials in December 2020 searched the witness’s cellphone and reported JackJiggity sent five files of apparent child pornography.
With the help of subpoenas, investigators reported linking Carmody to JackJiggity.
Investigators on March 31, 2021 executed a search warrant at Carmody’s residence on Oleander Avenue, who was home at the time.
Federal agents reported a preliminary analysis of his phone revealed “numerous child pornography files,” including infants being abused.
Carmody told investigators his Kik username was JackJiggity.
'Something evil'
His arrest wasn’t Carmody’s first encounter with the FBI related to child pornography. Agents noted they had contacted him in March 2019 after getting information a person with the username Mike Carmody posted statements on a chat application including, “hurting kids are fun” and “i need to do something evil.”
Carmody in April 2019 told FBI officials “he did not mean anything by the posts and was role playing.”
In an April 28 plea agreement, Carmody admitted, “I am pleading guilty because I am in fact guilty of these charges.”
Federal prosecutors in court papers filed ahead of Carmody’s sentencing argued for a prison term in excess of 21 years.
“The defendant has an inexplicable fascination with sadistic child pornography depicting babies and toddlers,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk. “A person must be exceptionally evil to revel in the physical and emotional agony of a small child. The defendant is just such a person.”
And he wasn’t alone, Funk noted.
“He was able to meet other like-minded people online and trade extremely vile images depicting the smallest of children being brutally raped and tortured,” Funk wrote. “The images will forever be a commodity in a dark echo chamber of depravity.”
When arrested, Carmody possessed 226 images and 188 videos depicting “child pornography of which 50 videos and 25 images contained sadistic material,” Funk noted.
In a defense sentencing memo, Carmody’s father reported that as a child, he “did not get into trouble … did not fight with other children, and kept to himself playing video games and driving his go-cart around the neighborhood.’
“He got along with his family and looked out for his friends when they needed help,” Michael Caruso, a federal public defender, wrote about Carmody.
His mother depicted him as “smart, funny, loyal, and humble” but also “very shy and lacking self-confidence,” Caruso wrote.
He also noted sentences imposed in similar cases had ranged from 11 to 12 years in prison.
Prosecutor Funk though, in arguing for a maximum sentence, stated his sentence “should be so severe that it deters other likeminded people from committing the same acts.”
“If good is represented by light and evil by dark, the defendant’s view of the world could not get much darker,” Funk wrote. “The people who do this type of crime are extraordinarily depraved and should be punished severely for their vile offenses.”
Cannon specifically ordered Carmody to serve two 20-year terms: for one count of distribution of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minor, and one count of receipt of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors. Both terms will run at the same time, she ruled.
He was ordered to serve an additional five years for one count of possession of matter containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, records show.
Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers, and is writer and co-host of Uncertain Terms, a true crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Michael Carmody guilty of 3 federal child pornography charges
