Calhoun couple sentenced to federal prison for child pornography

CALHOUN, Ga. (WDEF) — A Calhoun couple are now facing federal prison time on child pornography charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

William Sandridge. Gordon County Sheriff’s Office

A judge sentenced William Sandridge and Allyn Michelle Sandridge, both aged 42, to federal prison on September 6, 2023.

Allyn Sandridge is a former middle school special education teacher. While she was teaching, her husband William started sending her child pornographic text messages, the DOJ said.

Allyn Sandridge. Gordon County Sheriff’s Office

Authorities also said the text messages began around December of 2017. William sent his wife texts “detailing his sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children,” the DOJ explained. They added that he also sent her some images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Allyn periodically deleted his texts and used an encrypted messaging app to conceal William’s crimes, authorities explained.

Allyn was formerly a special education teacher at Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton, Georgia.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tipped off local law enforcement officers, who then executed a search warrant on the Sandridge home. There, officers found “multiple cell phones and a desktop computer loaded with graphic images of child sex abuse,” the DOJ said.

However, they added that Allyn immediately cooperated and told officers what had happened.

U.S. District Judge William Ray, II sentenced both William and Allyn Sandridge.

William faces seven years and three months in prison, with a lifetime of supervised release. On June 6, William pleaded guilty to the distribution of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexual conduct.

Allyn faces one year and six months in prison, with a lifetime of supervised release. On May 25, she pleaded guilty to the possession of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexual conduct and misprision of a felony.

“By sharing images depicting the sexual violation of minors, the defendants re-victimized children whose lives have been forever altered by this abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The conduct in this case is especially egregious given that one of the defendants, a schoolteacher, occupied a position of trust in the community. The Department of Justice is committed to helping to ensure the safety and well-being of children, so we especially place a high priority on protecting and combating sexual exploitation of minors. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect children from sexual predators and pedophiles.”