United States Attorney James R. Dedrick
Eastern District of Tennessee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 23, 2008
CONVICTED CHILD PORNOGRAPHER JIMMY E. SPRAGUE SENTENCED
[Greeneville, TN] -Jimmy E. Sprague, 62, formerly of Kingsport, Tennessee, was sentenced in United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee, by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, to three hundred sixty months imprisonment, followed by supervised release for life. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $39,300.00 and a special assessment of $100.
Sprague, who has a history of child sexual exploitation, was originally investigated for his violation of the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry Law. He pled guilty to the receipt of more than 800 images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct via the internet. Sprague portrayed Santa Claus at Kingsport-area churches, schools, and community centers.
United States Attorney James R. Russ Dedrick noted the successful prosecution of Jimmy E. Sprague involved the cooperation of federal and local law enforcement agencies. The investigation was conducted by the Kingsport Police Department Detective Division and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to Dedrick, “Working together with our local law enforcement partners, we protected the safety of society’s most vulnerable members, our children. The protection of children remains a high priority of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys Office.”
For additional information, please contact United States Attorney Russ Dedrick or Public Information Officer Sharry Dedman-Beard, 865-545-4167, or Assistant United States Attorney Helen Smith at 423-639-6759 x 110.