Former Mississippi police officer gets 10 years for possessing child sexual abuse materials

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A former Mississippi police officer, who was also a part-time volunteer firefighter, was sentenced Tuesday to more than 10 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse materials.

After a hearing in Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ordered Corey Harrelson to serve 121 months in prison and to make restitution of $3,500 to each of eight known victims, for a total of $28,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi said in a news release.

According to court documents, Harrelson of Bruce, Mississippi, possessed computer files containing images and videos of minors, including prepubescent children, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Harrelson possessed files of more than 80 known child victims.

“Today’s sentence should serve as a stark reminder that those who possess images of the sexual abuse of children will face significant punishment in federal court, regardless of their job or status,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said. “I would like to thank the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office for their assistance in this investigation, and for their continued commitment to put defendants like this one behind bars.”