SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- A federal judge in Illinois has sentenced an Ohio man to life in prison for having millions of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
Federal prosecutors say U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce in Urbana sentenced 36-year-old Jason Gmoser of Hamilton, Ohio, on Friday. Jurors in Urbana convicted Gmoser in February. In addition to the life term the judge also gave Gmoser 50 years for conspiring to advertise and distribute child pornography.
Federal officials say Gmoser was arrested in October 2014 when a court-authorized search of his home found the files. Prosecutors say he operated via a members-only website that allowed him to post thousands of messages containing the images.
Prosecutors described the website as a "highly-sophisticated global enterprise." They say users employed advanced technology to evade law enforcement.
