A former special education teacher and her husband have been sentenced for sending images of child sex abuse.
William Sandridge and Allyn Michelle Sandridge, both 42, of Calhoun, were sentenced to federal prison in Georgia this week for exchanging text messages with images of child sex abuse and then trying to hide them on their phones.
The pair both pleaded guilty to their individual charges earlier this year.
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William pleaded guilty to distribution of a visual depiction of a minor and engaging in sexually explicit conduct, subsequently receiving a seven-year and three-month prison sentence on Wednesday (6 September), which is followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Meanwhile, Allyn pleaded guilty to possession of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and misprision of a felony.
Following her plea, the former school teacher was handed a one-year, six-month prison sentence, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
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U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said that the couple began their crimes in 2017 when William began sending texts to his wife 'detailing his sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children'. Some of the messages contained images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
At that time, Allyn was employed as a special education teacher at a charter school in Canton, Georgia.
She apparently deleted the sexually explicit images at 'William Sandridge’s direction' in order to protect her husband.
But in December 2022, authorities raided the couple's home based on a tip from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation office.
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Once inside, officials discovered 'multiple cell phones and a desktop computer loaded with graphic images of child sex abuse'.
The district attorney said that Allyn soon confessed she had received the messages from William and that she attempted to hide his inappropriate activity by periodically deleting the images.
In a press release, Buchanan said: "By sharing images depicting the sexual violation of minors, the defendants re-victimized children whose lives have been forever altered by this abuse.
"The conduct in this case is especially egregious given that one of the defendants, a schoolteacher, occupied a position of trust in the community.
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"The Department of Justice is committed to helping to ensure the safety and well-being of children, so we especially place a high priority on protecting and combating sexual exploitation of minors. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect children from sexual predators and pedophiles."
Meanwhile, HSI Atlanta acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, said: "Finding and arresting predators, like these, who distribute images of children being abused is one of our most important missions and we take it seriously.
"HSI, along with our dedicated law enforcement partners, remains committed to identifying individuals who prey on our most vulnerable population - especially those who hold positions of public trust."
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If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact RAINN via its helpline on 800 656 HOPE (4673) or its online chat, available 24/7 seven days a week.
Callum Jones