Man sentenced for child pornography

CARABELLE, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of receiving child pornography.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, between Sep. 2018 and July 2022, 59-year-old Franklin Jefferson Mathes of Carabelle was found to have received and own material containing child porn.

Prosecutors say the material involved minors under the age of 12.

A judge sentenced him to federal prison for 84 months, followed by 20 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.

“The safety and well-being of our children is paramount,” stated U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody. “Those who seek to view and maintain child pornography facilitate the abuse of children by those who produce and profit from this illegal content, robbing our children of their innocence and their very childhood. With our law enforcement partners, we will hold such offenders accountable.”