A former University of Georgia professor who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison Tuesday.
In addition to serving 90 months followed by 10 years of supervised release, 39-year-old James Edward Monogan III was ordered to pay $40,000 in fines, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Monogan will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.
The sentence amounts to less than half of the prison time Monogan potentially faced after he admitted to having more than 450 images of child pornography on his work laptop and a hundred more on his cellphone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. He faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
Monogan resigned from his position as a political science professor at UGA in November 2019 after becoming the subject of the investigation.
“Viewing child pornography is a direct assault against the very children who are being exploited on film,” acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in the release.
The investigation began after authorities received information that Monogan distributed child porn to users over the KIK messenger application, federal prosecutors previously said. On Sept. 5, 2019, Homeland Security Investigation, GBI agents and Athens police conducted a search of the professor’s Athens home and seized several of his electronic devices. Monogan’s UGA office was also searched.
Some of the images found involved children younger than 12, authorities said.
“Taking Monogan off the streets means that his victims can start to heal, and he can no longer hurt our children or share those dreadful images and details with others,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Katrina Berger said.
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