Hudson Man Gets 17-Year Sentence For Grooming Child For Sex Abuse

HUDSON, FL — A 49-year-old Hudson man will spend more than 17 years in federal prison after being found guilty of possessing images depicting the sexual abuse of children.

U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven sentenced Charles Poole to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison and ordered him to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

Poole was found guilty by a federal jury on July 9.

According to court documents, the investigation into Poole was launched after an electronic service provider reported to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children that an account linked to Poole was receiving images of children being sexually abused.

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant at Poole’s home and seized electronic devices that contained images of child sexual abuse material, including young children and toddlers.

Investigators also found evidence on Poole's cell phone of his desire to engage in incest and his grooming of a 12-year-old child to be sexually abused with the consent of the child's mother. There was also evidence on the cell phones showing Poole's sexual assault on the child.

“A serial child predator will now be behind bars, making our communities safer for our most vulnerable,” said Jennifer Silliman, acting agent in charge of Homeland Security in Tampa. “This sentencing is the result of the strong law enforcement partnership between HSI and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.”