An Alabama man pleaded guilty yesterday for his involvement with a website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, William Michael Spearman, 57, of Madison, was the lead administrator of the website, which had been operating for many years. The website included a section devoted to the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, a section devoted to images and videos depicting children being subjected to pain and torture, and a section devoted to avoiding detection by law enforcement. As the lead administrator, Spearman managed numerous “staff” members, directed them how to help run the site, recommended other users for promotion, kept records of child pornography files advertised and distributed over the site, presided over staff meetings, praised and scolded users, and counseled users and other managers about the function and expectations of the website. Spearman also advertised and distributed images over the website.
Spearman pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The following defendants have also been convicted in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement with the same website:
| Name | Residence | Charges | Status |
| Selwyn David Rosenstein | Boynton Beach, Florida | Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; five counts of advertisement of child pornography; possession of child pornography | Sentenced to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution to victims |
| Gregory Malcolm Good | Silver Springs, Nevada | Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography | Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22 |
| Robert Preston Boyles | Clarksville, Tennessee | Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography | Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15 |
| Matthew Branden Garrell | Raleigh, North Carolina | Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography | Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1 |
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, West Palm Beach Resident Agency, and Miami Field Office investigated the cases. Substantial assistance for the case was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in: Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Madison, Wisconsin. Substantial assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Western District of Wisconsin.
Trial Attorneys Kyle P. Reynolds and William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
