HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A north Alabama man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of cyberstalking, extortion and producing child pornography, and is facing a proposed 40-year prison sentence.
Donald Wayne Carmody, 30, of New Hope entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke on Monday. The plea agreement includes a stipulated 480-month prison term, which must be approved by the Court.
Federal prosecutors say Carmody anonymously threatened a woman, demanding intimate photographs and warning he would release existing pictures of her online. He also gained unauthorized access to her social media accounts.
Following his arrest on stalking and extortion charges, FBI investigators discovered a USB drive containing child pornography involving two victims under age 12. The FBI's Video Forensic Analysis Unit matched distinctive characteristics of a hand shown in the images to photographs of Carmody's hands taken during the investigation.
The charges carry maximum sentences of 30 years for child pornography production, five years for cyberstalking, and two years for extortion. Each charge also includes potential fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
The U.S. Attorney's Office has partnered with the National Children's Advocacy Center to release educational videos about sextortion prevention, available on the NCAC's YouTube channel.
Suspected child exploitation can be reported to the FBI Birmingham Office at 205-326-6166 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via cybertipline.org.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.
