A 23-year-old Heber Springs man with a history of having sex with girls between the ages of 13 and 15 was sentenced Friday to 15 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.
Spencer Goudy pleaded guilty in December to the production charge in exchange for the dismissal of other charges against him. Those charges included four counts of enticement of a minor to engage in a sex act, two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
His plea agreement called for prosecutors and his defense attorney to jointly recommend the 15-year sentence, the minimum under federal statutes, which Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller agreed to impose Friday. The crime carries an imprisonment range of up to 30 years.
The plea agreement also calls for the state to dismiss related charges pending against Goudy in Cleburne and White counties.
According to a July 16, 2015, detention order written by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Ray, "the government established that in the last three years, [Goudy] has engaged in sex with at least five young girls under the age of 16, most of whom he also convinced to give him photographs of themselves wearing little or no clothing."
Ray's order cited text messages between Goudy and the girls through which he said prosecutors established by clear and convincing evidence that Goudy engaged in sex with each of five minors the indictment accused him of sexually exploiting. Ray said the evidence convinced him that Goudy constituted a danger to the community and should remain in custody until he could be tried.
The order noted that 49 images of child pornography were found on Goudy's cellphone. It also noted that his mother and his twin brother "appear to have been aware" that he was having sex with young girls but made no efforts to seek treatment for him. That, Ray said, made them ineligible to serve as his custodians were he to be released until trial.
According to a news release Friday from U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer and Raymond Parmer Jr., special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, an investigation leading to the charges against Goudy began in May 2014. That's when a 13-year-old girl told investigators at the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division that she was having a sexual relationship with Goudy. It says Goudy was arrested in Cleburne and White counties on statutory rape charges.
The news release said Goudy used his cellphone to entice "multiple females" to engage in sex acts.
"Forcing minors to engage in sex and sharing the assaults with others is an unconscionably heinous act," Parmer said.
"A sentence of 15 years will never undo the irreparable harm caused to the victims of Goudy," Thyer said. "However, this sentence will hopefully deter those individuals who seek to destroy the innocence of Arkansas' children."
The case was investigated by the Heber Springs Police Department, the state police and homeland security agents. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant. Goudy was represented by attorney Kim Kelley of Heber Springs.
Miller ordered Goudy to serve five years of probation after his release from federal prison, where parole is unavailable.
Metro on 01/28/2017