FLORIDA
A federal judge sentenced a retired sheriff’s deputy to 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography in a computer laptop, including an image of a child under the age of 12, according to authorities.
In June, a jury found Cameron Dean Bates, 50, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, of four counts of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
In addition to imposing the prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore of Florida also ordered Bates to pay $3,500 in restitution to a victim.
Bates was a St. Lucie County sheriff’s deputy from 1988 until his resignation in 2006, officials said.
In March 2011, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office detectives and members of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began an investigation using peer-to-peer (P2P) software.
According to evidence presented at trial, investigators discovered that, between December 2010 and June 2012, several Internet protocol or IP addresses linked to Bates in both St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County were used to download and share child pornography files.
The trial evidence showed that a laptop computer recovered during a search of Bates’ home contained numerous images and videos of child pornography, including at least one image depicting a child under the age of 12.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigators told reporters that Cameron Bates, 46, admitted to accidentally downloading child porn on his computer while he was downloading music files using peer-to-peer software, according to a TV news report by WPBF/ABC 25.