FORMER FLORENCE POLICE CAPTAIN GETS 84 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR TRANSPORTING AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

BIRMINGHAM, AL - BASIL KENNY STANLEY was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for using a computer to transport or mail child pornography and for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Blackburn sentenced STANLEY to 84 months imprisonment, in addition to 20 years supervised release.

STANLEY was indicted in June 2006, and pled guilty in August 2006. He remains out on bond under strict limitations imposed by the Court and is due to report to prison February 26, 2007.

The government sought a sentence within the advisory range of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines of 108 months to 135 months, and objected to the Court’s variance and the Court’s decision to allow STANLEY to remain free on bond.

“It is disturbing that a law enforcement officer should be so brazen as to upload graphic photographs of children being raped on his police department computer. The public needs to understand - if anyone possesses images of child sexual abuse we want to put them in prison. You can help law enforcement by reporting violations to the FBI, ”states U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin.

STANLEY, 50, of Killen, Alabama, was a Captain with the Florence Police Department when this investigation began. The Florence Police Department cooperated in the investigation. STANLEY pleaded guilty to using his home computer and his work computer to e-mail and transport child pornography from May 2005 to January 2006. Evidence presented in Court revealed that tips provided from a photo sharing website concerning online child pornography and child exploitation were received and investigated which resulted in the indictment filed against STANLEY.

“Children should be able to trust a police officer without fear of being violated,” stated Special Agent in Charge Carmen S. Adams, Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Children will be protected through the investigation and prosecution of child predators. The message here is very clear to internet users - Child Pornography is investigated and prosecuted,” added Adams.

The investigation was conducted by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the full cooperation of the Florence Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John H. England, III, prosecuted this matter on behalf of the U.S. Government.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national initiative announced by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales earlier this year. PSC encourages the use of multi-jurisdictional task forces to investigate and prosecute cases that involve the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet. Moreover, PSC urges that law enforcement efforts be complemented by community-wide campaigns to assist victims of exploitation and to educate parents, other adults, and children about Internet safety. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, one in every 33 children receives an unwanted sexual solicitation online each year. One in four children experiences unwanted exposure to sexually explicit material on the Internet each year. In addition, more than 20,000 images of child pornography are posted on the Internet every week.