Aug. 12, 2025 – A Booneville man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material involving minors as young as eight years old, federal prosecutors announced Monday, Aug. 11.
Austin Thompson, 21, was given a 60-month prison sentence after investigators said he used an internet application to share sexually explicit images and videos of children. Court documents state Thompson had prior contact with law enforcement for trafficking in child pornography, which helped agents identify him as the user behind the accounts.
“People who have a sexual interest in children do not belong in society, they belong in prison,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said in a statement. “Thanks to exemplary teamwork by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, and AUSA Parker King, another criminal who views kids as sex objects is behind bars.”
FBI Jackson Field Office Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff said each time such material is shared, the victims are “re-victimized.” He credited the joint work of federal, state and local authorities for stopping Thompson’s “calculated, deliberate efforts” to distribute the material.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the conviction helps prevent further harm. “While this conviction does not turn back the clock, it prevents this predator from inflicting more harm,” Fitch said. “Together, we are dedicated to serving justice for the victims and making Mississippi a safer place for everyone.”
The case was investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the FBI, with assistance from the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
