A Cherokee County man previously convicted of child molestation is now charged with distributing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday afternoon.
Billy Gene McCorkle Jr., 45, of Canton, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury and later arraigned on charges of distributing and possessing child pornography of children under the age of 12, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in an emailed statement. And because he’s already been convicted of a sex crime, McCorkle faces a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted again, Yates said.
“The sexual exploitation of a child through the distribution of child pornography is a crime that preys on the most innocent in our society, the very ones who depend on us to protect them,” Yates said. “This defendant is accused of trafficking sexually graphic images of very young children, with some of them even shown in bondage situations.”
Investigators identified McCorkle’s alleged crimes by his Google email account and then obtained a search warrant to search the account, according to Yates’ office. Between October and November, McCorkle allegedly used a cell phone to transmit more than 208 photographs and 14 video files depicting pornographic images of minors, including children under age 12, according to investigators.
McCorkle is a registered sex offender after being convicted of child molestation in Cobb County in May 2005, according to the GBI and Georgia Department of Corrections. He was released from prison in November 2012 after serving 11 months for violating his probation, records show.
If convicted, McCorkle could face 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Yates said. The case remains under investigation.
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