AUGUSTA, Ga. - A Columbia County man has been sentenced to more than fourteen years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.

Thirty-five-year-old Bradley Fearneyhough of Martinez pleaded guilty and a judge sentenced him to 172 months. The judge also ordered Fearneyhough to pay $21,000 in restitution, register as a sex offender, and serve twenty years of supervised release.

“Predators who possess images of child sexual exploitation perpetuate the victimization of these vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence makes it clear that such despicable activity won’t be tolerated in our communities.”

The FBI received a tip in May 2022 that Fearneyhough possessed images that showed child sexual abuse. After his arrest, authorities searched his electronic devices and found hundreds of image and videos. Some of the pictures and videos showed sexual abuse of children as young as infants.

“As described in court documents and testimony, in May 2022, the FBI received an online tip that Fearneyhough possessed images that depicted child sexual abuse. He was arrested after subsequent interviews and searches of his electronic devices. Agents found hundreds of images of child pornography on multiple devices in Fearneyhough’s possession, including videos depicting sexual abuse of children as young as infants.

"Thanks to a public tip submitted to the National Threat Operations Center, Fearneyhough will be held accountable for his heinous crimes," said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "This case is an outstanding example of how partnerships between the FBI and the public are essential in protecting our citizens, in particular, children, our most vulnerable citizens."

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