Mississippi man sentenced to 8 years for child pornography

GULFPORT, Miss. — An Ocean Springs, Miss., man was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday for possession of child pornography, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Robert A. Ormsbee, 60, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release following his sentence and to pay a $3,000 fine and $3,000 in restitution. He was ordered to register as a sex offender, and he forfeited all computer equipment and other electronic devices.

Ormsbee pleaded guilty in May 2012 to possessing 3,127 images and 121 videos depicting child exploitation. Some of the videos depicted elements of bondage and bestiality.

"While some may mistakenly believe that simply downloading and possessing child pornography is a victimless crime, the facts clearly state otherwise," said Raymond R. Parmer Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New Orleans. "Not only are these children victimized all over again by the spread of these images, these products also create a perverse incentive for other children to be victimized. HSI will continue to pursue child predators wherever we find them – they will not be allowed to hide behind the anonymity of the Internet."

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.