A Hartsville man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for multiple convictions regarding child pornography.
Authorities said 41-year-old Richard A. Souders was sentenced Friday by visiting United States District Court Judge Marvin Aspen.
The sentencing was in regards to convictions for the production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography.
Souders was originally charged with a 12-count indictment in October 2014.
Reports stated an undercover investigation revealed he was trading child pornography with other people.
Souders also took sexually explicit photos of a 17-month-old girl he was taking care of in June 2014.
He sent the images of her to others and discussed his molestation of the girl in his care.
According to reports, Souders had a collection of over 100 images and videos of other children being sexually abused.
“The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the horrendous actions of the defendant and society’s need to punish the offender and insure that no other innocent children will become a victim of his perverted sexual desires,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith.
In December 2015, Souders pleaded guilty to the charges, and he admitted he had recorded the images of the toddler, transported those to others online, and collected images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of young children.
