ORLANDO, Fla. – A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced an 80-year-old St. Cloud man to eight years and one month in prison for the receipt and possession of child sexual abuse materials, according to a news release.
James Edward Cox Jr. entered a guilty plea in August, several months after his arrest by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Recommended Videos
That arrest in March was marked by the self-inflicted death of his son, Henry Cox, who was accused of producing the illegal images that James Cox admitted to possessing.
Wednesday’s news release describes how one of the devices seized from James Cox’s home during searches conducted between January and March — specifically, a device used by James Cox — contained hundreds of images and multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and young girls.
James Cox at one point uploaded a file to a search engine in an attempt to find similar images, the release states.
“Actively scouring the dark web to find and collect sexual abuse content of children perpetuates the suffering of innocent victims around the world,” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando’s David Pezzutti said in a statement. “This sentencing reflects the gravity of this predator’s crimes, as well as HSI’s commitment to shedding a light on the dark web to protect children from harm.”
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: