Soldier in training at Fort Gordon pleads guilty to distributing child pornography

Alexandra Koch, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

May 4—A U.S. Army soldier in training at Fort Gordon is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography.

Joshua Gamble, 29, of Fort Gordon, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography.

The guilty plea carries statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison, up to 20 years, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, registration as a sex offender, and a significant period of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Our vigilant law enforcement partners continue to identify and intercept online predators who engage in online exploitation of children," said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. "We will be unrelenting in pursuing those who would victimize the most vulnerable among us."

FBI agents investigating illegal distribution of child pornography via an Internet chat application arrested Gamble in October 2021 on a complaint based on activity that took place on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11, 2021.

"A child is re-victimized every time pornographic images of that child are shared," said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI is always prepared to do everything in our power, with a sense of urgency, to protect innocent children from being exploited by predators."

Sentencing is expected within the next month or two, pending a presentence investigation, according to Estes.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

Gamble's indictment comes after a number of other pornography-related arrests at Fort Gordon, home to the Army's Cyber Center of Excellence.

In February 2021, an Army major assigned to Army Cyber Command, Jason Michael Musgrove, 41, was sentenced to 30 years for the production of child porn. In May 2021, another soldier in training, Bryan Stills, 26, admitted to possessing child porn.

"Identifying and removing child predators is an important part of keeping our communities safe," Estes said in May. "We applaud our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts to find those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society."

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.