Glynn County man sentenced to federal prison for distributing sexually exploitative images of children

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WSAV) – A Glynn County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to distributing images of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Thomas Webster, 62, of St. Simon’s Island, has been sentenced to 76 months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Webster to pay $80,300 in fines and restitution, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of probation after completing his prison sentence.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Child sexual abuse images are lasting reminders of the abuse each victim has endured, and those who distribute these images perpetuate victimhood,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Thanks to the diligence of our law enforcement partners, Thomas Webster will no longer share these damaging images and will be held accountable for his crimes.”

In February 2021, a CyberTip reporting the distribution of child sexual abuse material was shared with the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), court documents show.

The information identified images shared via Twitter from an address in Glynn County, now known as X.

The Glynn County Police Department (GCPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined that the child sexual abuse images were being shared on Webster’s account, and during a search of his home, investigators seized multiple electronic devices containing more than 1,000 images of child pornography. Webster was arrested shortly after his indictment on federal charges in October 2023 and pleaded guilty in April to one count of distribution of child pornography.

“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,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Together with our partners in state and local law enforcement, the FBI is committed to working collectively to prosecute child sex offenders.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, the GBI, and the Glynn County Police Department, and prosecuted on behalf of the United States by L. Alexander Hamner, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Anyone with information about suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.