Jackson, Miss. – Cody Clines Adkins, 36, of Jackson was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to serve a total of 720 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing child pornography and possessing images of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Adkins was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and restitution to be determined at a later date.

"Despicable acts committed against children will receive the severest penalties in this district. Hopefully, this monster will never touch free ground again. I commend our prosecutors, FBI agents, and state investigators for bringing this criminal to justice. We will remain ever vigilant in protecting our children," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

"If you have an addiction to child pornography, seek help from professionals - otherwise, you could face similar penalties and time in prison like Mr. Adkins will be spending," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Freeze. "These types of investigations and prosecutions could not be successful without strong partnerships between the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and law enforcement at all levels."

"This pedophile deserves every year he’s gotten behind bars," said Attorney General Jim Hood. "As a father, I cannot think of a more disgusting crime than what this man has committed, and I pray that the innocent children he has victimized will find peace and be able to enjoy the childhood they deserve. Thank you to Judge Reeves and the agencies that worked together to put this man far away from destroying more lives."

Beginning in and around February 2017, agents with the Jackson FBI and Mississippi Attorney General’s Office conducted an undercover investigation of individuals downloading and sharing child pornography images in Mississippi via the Internet. During the investigation, an Internet Protocol Address was found to be sharing and downloading numerous images and videos of child pornography. The investigation led to Cody Clines Adkins in Jackson, who, via the Internet, was sharing videos and images of child pornography of children as young as 2 years old engaging in sexual explicit conduct with adults. Further, the investigation revealed that Adkins was actually producing child pornography.

On July 25, 2018, Adkins was charged in an 18-count federal indictment. He pled guilty before Judge Reeves on January 17, 2019, to four counts of producing child pornography and two counts of possessing images of child pornography.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office jointly investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.