Glynn County Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

A Glynn County man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for pleading guilty to charges related to distributing child pornography. Thomas Webster, a 62-year-old resident of St. Simons Island, was sentenced to 76 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

In addition to the prison sentence, Webster must also register as a sex offender. He must also serve 15 years of supervised release after serving his sentence. Furthermore, the federal system does not offer the possibility of early release. His sentence does not end there, as he must also pay restitution and a fine totaling $80,300. “Images of child sexual abuse are lasting reminders of the abuse each victim has suffered. Those who distribute these images perpetuate victimhood,” U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg said in the same press release.

The illegal activity came to light after a CyberTip in February 2021 indicated the distribution of child pornography material from a Glynn County address via X, an account later identified as Webster’s. When police searched his St. Simons residence, they discovered more than 1,000 images of child pornography stored on multiple devices. After his arrest on federal charges in October 2023, Webster pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography the following April.

FBI Atlanta Special Agent Keri Farley stressed the severity of the sentence as a deterrent, saying, “Webster will spend the next six years of his life in prison, which should send a strong message to anyone who even considers distributing images of innocent children,” and the collaborative efforts of the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Glynn County Police Department were emphasized by Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner as crucial to the successful prosecution of the case. The public is encouraged by officials to report any suspicions of child sexual exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or online, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.