Jacksonville Man Sentenced To 60 Years For Producing Videos Of Child Pornography

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Charles Franklin Hudson, Jr. (39, Jacksonville) to 60 years in federal prison for using a minor child to produce videos depicting child pornography. In addition, the Court ordered him to serve a life term of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to forfeit his electronic media. Hudson was arrested on January 8, 2014. He pleaded guilty on July 16, 2014.

According to court documents, on January 6, 2014, an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) was dispatched to a residence in response to a call regarding allegations of sexual battery on a minor child. Subsequently, detectives from the JSO Sex Crimes Unit interviewed the child, who indicated that she had been sexually abused by Hudson. Two days later, detectives obtained a search warrant for Hudson’s residence. During the execution of the warrant, officers discovered numerous items of digital media, including several computers, cameras, SD cards, CDs, and DVDs. In the attic, officers recovered a backpack containing cameras, sex devices and restraints, and several pill bottles bearing Hudson’s name. Five SD cards were found inside one of the pill bottles.  

Subsequent forensic analyses of the five SD cards revealed approximately 90 video and image files depicting sexually explicit conduct involving Hudson. At least two of these videos, which had been produced by Hudson, depicted him and a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

"This prison sentence sends a strong message of deterrence to predators who think they can sexually exploit innocent children and get away with it," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "We cannot undo the trauma to these children, but with law enforcement partners like the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, we will do everything in our power to bring these criminals to justice."

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.