A Rainsville, Alabama man has been sentenced to 60 years in state prison after being convicted on multiple counts related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the electronic solicitation of a minor, DeKalb County authorities announced Monday.

Valen Edwards received the maximum sentence allowed by law following his conviction in August.

According to District Attorney Summer Summerford, Edwards was found guilty of two (2) counts of Possession of Obscene Matter, one (1) count of Dissemination of Obscene Matter, and one (1) count of Electronic Solicitation of a Child.

Circuit Judge Andrew Hairston delivered the severe sentence, ensuring that Edwards serves 60 consecutive years behind bars, along with significant monetary fines.

Edwards’ prison term is structured as follows:

  • 20 years and $30,000 fine: Electronic Solicitation of a Child
  • 20 years and $30,000 fine: Dissemination of Obscene Matter
  • 10 years and $15,000 fine: One count of Possession of Obscene Matter
  • 10 years: One count of Possession of Obscene Matter

The investigation began in March 2021 when the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a critical tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip indicated that a person had shared an image containing child pornography via the social platform Discord.

Summerford stated that ICAC investigators successfully traced the IP address associated with the activity to a home on Lingerfelt Road in Rainsville.

In April 2021, search warrants were obtained and executed at the residence. During an interview with authorities, Edwards confessed to the crimes. He admitted to downloading and sending a picture depicting a child under the age of 10 engaged in a sexual act on the Discord app. Edwards also disclosed previous sexual conversations he had engaged in with an underage female.

A subsequent extraction of Edwards’ phone revealed further evidence, including a nude image of an underage female saved to his device, along with records of the sexual conversations.

Valen Edwards will now serve 60 years in prison for the offenses.