BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WJBF) – A Georgia man has been sentenced to a century in federal prison on child exploitation charges.
45-year-old Michael Williams Kersey of St. Marys, Georgia, was sentenced to 1,200 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Sexual Exploitation of Children, three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, and Possession of Child Pornography.
Court documents state that FBI agents infiltrated an online messaging group where members shared images and videos of child sexual abuse. Through the course of the investigation, FBI agents found hundreds of images of sexual exploitation of at least four children on Kersey’s cell phone and computers at his home.
Investigators also identified 47-year-old Lesley Henry, also of St. Marys, as having produced sexually explicit images, sending them to Kersey.
“Michael Kersey and his co-defendant exploited vulnerable children for their warped gratification without regard for the lifelong trauma they inflicted on their innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg. “Their lengthy sentences help protect the community from such predatory behavior and reinforces the seriousness of these offenses.”
Henry is now serving 420 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography.
“Kersey’s determination to pursue lurid desires shows his lack of fear of the law and a willingness to harm children no matter how young they are,” said FBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent Will Clarke of the FBI’s Savannah office. “Although the FBI can never fully repair the damage inflicted by these predators, we can ensure that justice is served on those who commit these terrible crimes.”
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/
