Hawthorne resident Michael Lee Finn, Jr., 35, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty on June 14, 2022, to production of child pornography.
Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and vigorously prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
According to court documents, on October 17, 2021, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at a residence in Gainesville. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the complainant who advised that she had been in a lengthy relationship with Finn.
The complainant told officers that she had borrowed Finn’s cellphone, and while reviewing images that were stored on the device, she observed numerous pornographic images of adults. She also located videos which appeared to depict a minor child victim laying partially naked on a couch as well as naked in the shower.
It did not appear that the child victim was aware that she was being recorded on video. The complainant confronted Finn about the videos, an argument ensued between the two of them, and Finn proceeded to leave the residence.
Officers canvassed the area, located Finn, and then advised him of his Miranda rights. Finn admitted to taking the photos and videos of the child victim without her knowledge. He further stated that the pictures “might have been for personal gratification.”
Finn was arrested on state charges for possession of child pornography, and a state search warrant was obtained for the contents of the cellphone. In the “hidden” folder, there were several videos of the child victim which focused on her nude body and genitalia.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the child victim was unaware that the images had been created.
“Parents must remain ever-vigilant, even in the confines of their own homes, as predators use technology to secretly exploit and victimize children,” said K. Jim Phillips, Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge. “We are in the throes of a societal epidemic with regard to the sexual exploitation of children. Thanks to partners like the Gainesville Police Department, we were able to put a stop to this deviant’s behavior.”
Finn’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to sex offender conditions.
This conviction was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams prosecuted the case.