An Evans man is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in federal court to multiple child pornography charges, federal prosecutors said.
Ryan Thomas Manley, 44, of Evans, pleaded guilty to six counts of production with intent to distribute child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
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Court records state that between January and February 2025, Manley produced morphed images depicting real minor victims in sexually explicit conduct and intended to distribute the images electronically.
Under federal law, Manley faces up to 15 years in prison on the production charges and up to 20 years on the possession charge. Additional penalties could include substantial fines, mandatory sex offender registration, and up to a lifetime term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons is prosecuting the case for the Southern District of Georgia.
Authorities encourage anyone with information about child exploitation victims to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Evans man pleads guilty to federal child pornography charges