Ex-Fort Gordon soldier sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography

 Investigators found contraband after cyber tip

AUGUSTA, GA:  A former U.S. Army soldier training at Fort Gordon has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to possession of child pornography.

Bryan S. Stills, 26, of Fort Gordon, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Stills to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims, to serve 15 years of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence, and to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This sentence will hold Bryan Stills accountable for his victimization of children.”

As described in court documents and testimony, in October 2019 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted investigators from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) after detecting child pornography being downloaded to an email account. Investigators identified the source as Stills, who at the time was serving as a Private Second Class in training at Fort Gordon with the 369^th Signal Battalion. Investigator searched Stills’ living quarters and seized electronic devices with more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography.

Stills subsequently was discharged from the Army.

“Child exploitation presents a serious danger to children,” said Edward LaBarge, director of the Major Cybercrime Unit, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). “This sentencing demonstrates our commitment to seeking justice for the children that are victimized by this horrendous conduct, and pursuing those accused of child pornography offenses.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.