Thomas Joseph Schloeder, co-owner of the Atlanta business Brushstrokes, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for receiving thousands of images and videos of child pornography on his home computer.

“Collecting images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children is a despicable act,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Our continued work to prosecute and punish individuals who possess, receive and distribute child pornography should serve notice to those who may consider engaging in this behavior that it will not be tolerated.”

In November 2012, a DeKalb County police detective conducted an investigation of individuals using peer-to-peer technology to download child pornography and make it available to others, according to official accounts.

During that investigation, the detective determined that a computer located at Schloeder’s home had made available over 100 images of child pornography over the preceding months.

On November 15, 2012, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his home and seized several computers and electronic storage devices.

A subsequent forensic examination of those items revealed several thousand images and videos of child pornography.

Schloeder, 47, of Brookhaven, was sentenced Wednesday to eight years and one month in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Orinda D. Evans. He was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine.

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