RALEIGH—A United States district judge on Wednesday sentenced a 31-year-old registered sex offender from Oak Island to over three decades in prison for downloading child pornography.
Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Michael Carl Butler to 420 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Butler was indicted on three counts in September 2017, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On Dec. 13, 2017, Butler pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
The investigation began in January 2017 when officers from the Department of Homeland Security identified an IP address downloading child pornography and offering such files for download by others, the release states.
“A search warrant was issued for the home address associated with the IP address,” the release states. “During that search, law enforcement confiscated multiple electronic devices belonging to Butler.”
A forensic examination later revealed more than 90 images of child pornography on the devices.
“Further investigation also indicated that Butler utilized social media accounts, such as Facebook, to contact and solicit underage girls to commit sexual acts,” the release states.
It is not Butler’s first conviction for sex-related crimes against children, according to the release. Butler had previously been convicted of sex crimes in Brunswick and Pender counties, including exposing himself and indecent liberties with a minor and was a registered sex offender under North Carolina law.
Butler also had felony convictions in Brunswick County for larceny, breaking and entering and arson.
According to the release, the case was part of the U.S. Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood initiative. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Belle Kessler prosecuted the case.
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