Former Clayton County police officer sentenced to almost three years in federal prison for sending obscene matter on the Internet; officer used county-issued computer while on duty

Casey Austin Carmichael, 29, of Peachtree City, Ga., was sentenced Oct. 16 by U.S. District Judge Willis B. Hunt, Jr. on a charge of attempting to transfer obscene matter over the Internet to a person under 16 years old.

“As a police officer, this defendant abused the public’s trust and his police computer to do the exact opposite of what he was supposed to do,” said U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias. “Instead of fighting crime and arresting those who would do harm to our children and our community, he became a criminal and a threat to children.”

Carmichael was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Carmichael pleaded guilty to the charge Aug. 14 of this year.

In September 2007, Carmichael, while on duty as a patrolman with the Clayton County Police Department, used his department-issued computer to transfer obscene materials to a person Carmichael believed to be girl under 16 years of age, Nahmias said.

Carmichael had contacted her in a chat room on the Internet, and had conversations with her relating to obscene materials over several days while on duty as a patrolman, Nahmias said.

The underage “girl” was actually an FBI agent working undercover with the Safe Child Task Force. Carmichael was dismissed from the Clayton County Police Department upon his indictment in this case.

This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and its Safe Child Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. McClernan prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

Led by the United States attorney’s offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.