[A] Bristol man who ran a photography business was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the U.S. District Court in Burlington Thursday after he pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography possession.
Cody Clark, 27, ran several online businesses including a photography business called Life in the Moment Photography. The photography business’ Facebook page features a collection of photos of young children.
Clark had also been investigated for similar alleged crimes in Vermont during 2008 and again in New York state in 2014, according to a report in the Addison Independent, but it appears that there were no criminal charges or prosecutions.
In the summer of 2017, Google transmitted a “Cybertip” to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had uploaded images of child pornography to Clark’s Google account, according to court documents. The user was later identified as Clark.
The case is nothing new for law enforcement and Google. This is the second time this month that a Google tip has led to a Vermont man facing child pornography charges.
Federal law requires that all electronic communication providers report child exploitation when they see its digital fingerprint, and Google has used its online gaze to tip off law enforcement on a number of child pornography users over the years.
The internet giant actively scans the images that pass through Gmail accounts to see if they match the digital fingerprint of child pornography, and patrols its “cloud” platform Google Drive for possible illegal images.
Michael McCullagh, a special agent for Department of Homeland Security Investigations, wrote in the affidavit supporting Clark’s arrest that the tip was forwarded to the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which investigated.
Law enforcement found that 18 images containing child pornography had been uploaded to a Google account belonging to Clark, McCullagh wrote in the affidavit.
Using Facebook, law enforcement identified at least four of the young male children in the photos and found that a photo of one of the male children was on Clark’s personal Facebook page, according to court documents.
The photos on Clark’s Google account included those of a naked male child in a public restroom and bathtub, and it was also discovered that one of the photos was taken in New York state in 2014, McCullagh wrote in the documents.
In September 2017, a search warrant was issued to law enforcement and they searched Clark’s residence in Bristol and his silver Kia Sol — seizing several computers, other devices, and photographs, according to court documents.
A forensic examination of his devices confirmed that Clark had produced images of child pornography, and possessed images that he had downloaded from the Internet, the affidavit said.
Law enforcement officers also found a minor child in Clark’s bed, who was identified by Clark as his “godson,” McCullagh wrote.
Clark agreed to speak with law enforcement, waiving his Miranda rights, and told them that he produced and possessed images of child pornography, that he used them for “sexual gratification,” and that he had inappropriately touched young boys in his care, according to court documents. Clark denied that he had ever traded the photos or done anything other than upload them to his Google account, McCullagh wrote.
In addition to Clark’s 10 years in prison, he will also serve a 30-year term of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment.
