Amory man sentenced for distributing child sexual abuse material

ABERDEEN, Miss. — An Amory man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse material.

William Hadley Maddox, 24, was handed the statutory maximum sentence of 240 months by Senior U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock. The sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and Maddox must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or attends school.

According to court documents, Maddox was using an internet application to send child pornography to a minor. He was also receiving images of the minor engaged in sexually explicit activity.

U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner emphasized the severity of the conviction. “The defendant in this case has learned the valuable lesson that there is absolutely zero tolerance in this district for the sexual exploitation of any minor,” Joyner said. He also praised the exemplary cooperation between the Monroe County Sheriff’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook echoed that sentiment, stating, “Due to the extreme nature of this case, I truly feel like a child’s life was saved by the quick response and partnership between our local investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation. The project pools federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute those who exploit children online.