MACON, Ga. — A resident of Valdosta, Ga., was sentenced to federal prison this week on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from extremely young minors after an initial investigation into the defendant showing suspicious photos of a young woman had done at her place of work.
James Spencer Cochran, 50, of Valdosta, was sentenced April 26 by US District Judge Hugh Lawson to 78 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release and $4,500 in compensation to a victim after previously pleading guilty to one Census of possession of child sexual abuse material as of September 20, 2022. In addition, upon his release from federal prison, Cochran will be required to register as a sex offender for life. There is no probation.
“A teenager reported that her privacy was violated by a customer at her place of work; Your call resulted in a child abuser being held accountable for possession of child sexual abuse material on young children,” said US Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to thank this concerned citizen for speaking out, and I’m grateful that the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI quickly launched an investigation that brought this predator to justice.”
“This conviction of Mr. Cochran removes from our community an individual who has demonstrated a willingness to exploit vulnerable children through child sexual abuse material,” said Keri Farley, the FBI’s Atlanta Special Agent in Charge. “The FBI and our partners work every day to keep our children safe and will continue to use every available law enforcement resource to identify those who are preying on our most innocent victims.”
“This is the second case this week involving child abduction in our community that resulted in federal sentences without parole,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. “I am grateful for the strong partnership we have at the federal level to keep predators off the streets and off our children.”
According to court documents, in May 2018, deputies from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office investigated a complaint from a young woman who said one of her customers, Cochran, suspiciously photographed her with his cellphone at the restaurant where she worked. Cochran was interviewed and agreed to a search of his phone, where agents found photos of the woman, as well as several photos of fully clothed, prepubescent women and girls under the age of 12. Cochran admitted there were “some minors” and “a bit of nudity” on his home PC, and he consented to a search of his devices. A search warrant was executed and Cochran’s electronic equipment was confiscated. With assistance from the FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, agents identified 16 videos and 87 images that contained child sexual abuse material, primarily by minors under the age of 12. Cochran told law enforcement that he would download the images, view them, and then delete them before downloading more, knowing it was illegal.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Justice Department in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the US Attorney’s offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Division, Project Safe Childhood provides federal, state, and local resources to track, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children and identify victims and to save. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office with support from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Assistant US Attorney Hannah Couch prosecuted the case for the government.
