GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – A Gainesville man, who is also a convicted sex offender, was sentenced t0 30 years in federal prison for child pornography.

The State Attorney’s Office says 62-year-old Stephen Cobb pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

Authorities say in December of 2021, they received information that Cobb had involvement in sharing a child pornography video through the internet. In June of 2022, search warrants were executed for Cobb’s cell phones and social media account where authorities say they found  hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.

“Protecting innocent children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who work diligently to identify these predators and bring them to justice so that they can no longer exploit any child again. Due to their efforts, our community is safer, and this repeat offender is exactly where he belongs – back behind bars.”

After being convicted for lewd and lascivious assault on a child in 2018, Cobb is required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under both state and federal law. Authorities also said a lifetime of supervised release will be required after his sentence.

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Gainesville Police Department (GPD), and the Department of Homeland Security all worked together on the investigation.

“The decades-long sentence in this case is based, in part, on the history of victimization caused by the offender, including harm to a child in this community,” said­­­­ North Florida ICAC Task Force Commander Chris King. “We are thankful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office which helped achieve this result.”