What started as a Facebook tip culminated in a 20-year sentence for producing child pornography for a 21-year-old Plattsmouth resident.
Cody R. Childers, 21, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday in federal court in Omaha for producing child pornography, according to a press release from Acting United States Attorney Robert Stuart's office. The sentence was issued by Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr.
There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Once he serves his sentence, Childers will be required to register as a sex offender and begin a 10-year term of supervised release under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office.
Childers used Facebook to friend minor girls in and outside of Nebraska, and request sexually explicit photographs from the minors, the release states. Three girls in Nebraska were between ages 13 and 15 when he obtained sexually explicit photos from them; he also directed minors in other states to take and send sexually explicit photos to him, the release states.
The investigation began as a cybertip from Facebook, according to the press release.
Investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, Childers' case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The organization marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
