FORT SMITH (KFSM) – A former University of Arkansas – Fort Smith professor was sentenced to five years in prison for child pornography, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas Conner Eldridge.
Travis Brown, 45, of Fort Smith was sentenced to 60 months in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by 60 months of supervised release for receipt of child pornography, the release states.
Brown pleaded guilty to the charge of receipt of child porn on April 30, 2014, according to the release.
U. S. Attorney Eldridge commented, “Crimes that victimize children, including child pornography offenses, remain among the highest priorities for my office. Every time a video or image involving sexual abuse of children is downloaded or viewed, those children are re-victimized. We will continue to bring those involved in these crimes to justice.”
A federal Grand Jury issued an indictment on Jan. 29 against Brown on suspicion of four counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. While searching Brown’s home, federal investigators discovered 629 images of children aged 10 to 12 years old, Eldridge said. Many of those images were of girls, he said.
Brown’s arrest concluded a five-month investigation by Arkansas State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Eldridge said.
Brown was an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, according to a faculty page on the university’s website.
He is no longer employed at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, according to Sondra LaMar, director of public relations for the campus.
