Anthony Flowers, a 59-year-old resident of Jackson, was sentenced on Apr. 23 to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, according to an announcement by D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to prosecute crimes involving the exploitation and abuse of minors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee is responsible for advancing community safety through law enforcement and public outreach initiatives, as described on its official website according to the office.
In September 2025, an internal auditor at Gerdau Long Steel North America identified that Flowers had downloaded large data files containing child sexual abuse material using his work computer. After discovering that at least nine out of ninety files contained explicit content involving minors, the company alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). A subsequent search warrant led FBI agents to Flowers’s residence in Jackson, where he admitted viewing and transferring such material onto an external hard drive before deleting it. Agents later recovered evidence from a thumb drive provided by Gerdau’s Tampa office showing that Flowers had downloaded images and videos depicting severe exploitation of children under twelve years old.
Following his guilty plea in November 2025 to one count of possessing child pornography, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Flowers not only to prison but also imposed five years’ supervised release and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. There is no parole in the federal system.
Dunavant said: “Let this sentence serve notice on those who use the internet and electronic means to access materials that exploit, abuse, and victimize minor children: You cannot hide, we will track you down, and you will be held accountable for such disturbing and predatory criminal conduct.” The investigation involved members from both local law enforcement agencies—the Jackson Police Department and Madison County Sheriff’s Office—and federal partners from the FBI.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves as one of ninety-three offices under the Department of Justice according to its official website, handling prosecutions for federal crimes as well as defending civil matters across western Tennessee as reported by its website. With operations based in Memphis and Jackson since its establishment in 1803 according to historical records, it remains a key prosecutorial entity within its district.