A Camden County man has been sentenced to 100 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting multiple children.
Michael Williams Kersey, 45, of St. Marys, Ga., was sentenced to 1,200 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Sexual Exploitation of Children; three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children; and Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Michael Kersey and his co-defendant exploited vulnerable children for their warped gratification without regard for the lifelong trauma they inflicted on their innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Their lengthy sentences help protect the community from such predatory behavior and reinforces the seriousness of these offenses.”
As described in court documents and testimony, FBI agents in Milwaukee, Wis., infiltrated a private online messaging group in which members shared images and videos of child sexual abuse. That investigation led FBI agents to Kersey’s Camden County residence, where agents found hundreds of images depicting sexual exploitation of at least four children on Kersey’s cell phone and computers. Agents also identified Lesley Henry, 47, of St. Marys, and determined she produced sexually explicit images and sent them to Kersey.
Henry is serving 420 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood has scheduled hearings to determine any restitution Henry and Kersey will be ordered to pay.
“Kersey’s determination to pursue lurid desires shows his lack of fear of the law and a willingness to harm children no matter how young they are,” said FBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent Will Clarke of the FBI’s Savannah office. “Although the FBI can never fully repair the damage inflicted by these predators, we can ensure that justice is served on those who commit these terrible crimes.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Kingsland Police Department, the St. Marys Police Department, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania D. Groover and Jennifer J. Kirkland.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
