An Alabama man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for his involvement with a website that advertised and distributed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, William Michael Spearman, 58, of Madison, was the lead administrator of the website, which had been operating for many years.
Officials say the website included a section devoted to the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, a section devoted to images and videos depicting children being subjected to pain and torture, and a section devoted to avoiding detection by law enforcement, among others.
Read: FBI: Hernando County Man Found Guilty Of Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
As the lead administrator, Spearman managed numerous other “staff” members, directed them on how to help run the site, recommended other users for promotion, kept records of child sexual abuse material advertised and distributed over the site, presided over staff meetings, praised and scolded users, and counseled users and other managers about the functions and expectations of the website.
Spearman also advertised and distributed over the website images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
On June 12, 2023, Spearman pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
According to the Department of Justice, the following defendants have also been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement with the same website:
| Defendant | Residence | Case Status |
| Selwyn David Rosenstein | Boynton Beach, Florida | Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense. |
| Gregory Malcolm Good | Silver Springs, Nevada | Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense. |
| Robert Preston Boyles | Clarksville, Tennessee | Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense. |
| Matthew Branden Garrell | Raleigh, North Carolina | Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography .Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense. |
| Joseph Addison Martin | Tahuya, Washington | Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2 in Ft. Pierce, Florida. |
| Joseph Robert Stewart | Milton, Washington | Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for April 18 in Ft. Pierce, Florida. |
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the cases.
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