A Saline County man indicted in March 2021 on one count each of production and possession of child pornography was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Wednesday in an agreement with prosecutors that enabled him to avoid a longer prison term.
Jeffery Sanders, 27, of Traskwood, was arrested after an investigation that authorities said uncovered images of a 13-year-old girl taking a shower, unaware that she was being photographed.
According to court documents, the photos were found on a phone belonging to the daughter of Sanders' girlfriend, who told investigators that the photos had been pulled from Sanders' cellphone. On March 3, 2021, Sanders was indicted on one count of production of child pornography.
On April 27 of this year, Sanders pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson to one count of possession of child pornography contained in a superseding information, agreeing to a 10-year prison sentence in exchange for the dismissal of the indictment against him. Had Sanders elected to go to trial, under the terms of the agreement, he would have been exposed to a mandatory minimum 15-year prison term had he been convicted on the production count. On Wednesday, Wilson agreed to sentence Sanders to 10 years in prison, which was higher than the guideline sentencing range of 63 to 78 months.
Assistant Public Defender Alex Betton, who took the case over for Sanders' former attorney, KenDrell Collins, told Wilson that the agreement worked out with Collins was still the deal Sanders wished to pursue.
"When Mr. Collins counseled Mr. Sanders about this plea agreement it was in his best interests," Betton said. "The agreement asks the court to sentence Mr. Sanders to the statutory maximum and that's what we're asking."
"What says the prosecution?" Wilson asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant.
"That's correct," Bryant said. "In exchange for us dismissing the count that carried a 15-year mandatory minimum the parties agreed to the statutory maximum of 10 years to recommend to the court."
"So y'all have agreed on how much?" Wilson asked.
"Ten," Bryant said. "One hundred twenty months."
"One hundred twenty months," Wilson asked Betton. "Is that correct?"
"That is correct," Betton confirmed.
"We understand that's above the advisory guideline range," Bryant said. "But, it's still a significant benefit in that he's not getting a 15-year sentence and is instead just getting 10."
In addition to the 10-year prison term, Wilson ordered Sanders to serve an additional 10 years on supervised release. At Sanders' request, Wilson agreed to recommend to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that Sanders be allowed to serve his time in Mississippi.