WESELY CHAPEL, Fla. – Neil Thomas, 23, of Wesley Chapel, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images. U.S. District Judge William F. Jung handed down the sentence today.
In addition to the prison term, Thomas was ordered to forfeit a cellular phone used in the commission of the offense, pay $24,000 in restitution to the victims, and register as a sexual offender. Thomas had pleaded guilty to the charges on November 5, 2024.
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According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence in September 2023. A forensic examination of Thomas’s cellphone revealed that he had received numerous videos depicting the sexual abuse of children in August 2023. The phone also contained over 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse.
“Protecting our most vulnerable communities will continue to be a focus of our special agents,” said ICE HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “This child predator will now spend time in prison thinking about his crimes.”
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The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
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