4 sex offenders indicted in investigation into child pornography at Atlanta federal prison, DA says
A former physician serving time in an Atlanta prison has been indicted for possessing child sexual abuse material while in custody.
Justin Neisler is the fourth inmate incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta to be indicted on charges connected with child pornography at the prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia said.
According to prosecutors, the investigation began in March, when authorities discovered that 38-year-old Dustin Bishop and another inmate were allegedly using contraband cell phones to download CSAM off the dark web on SD cards taken from MP3 players.
Authorities say that Bishop and the other inmate used a contraband SD card reader and the prison library copy machine to print the material, which allegedly included depictions of fictional underage Disney characters being sexually assaulted, out, sometimes on the back of religious material they had acquired. They then allegedly sold the material to other inmates.
Investigators say they found a cell phone under Neisler's pillow that contained CSAM. Neisler is serving a 23-year sentence for the production of similar materials, officials said.
According to authorities, investigators discovered around 450 CSAM images and videos inside the prison.
"Prison bars allegedly did not stop these defendants from re-victimizing innocent children for their perverted and depraved gratification," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Contraband cell phones pose a clear risk to public safety, and my office will continue to arrest, prosecute, and seek additional prison time for inmates who commit new crimes, especially crimes involving child exploitation, while in custody."
Neisler is charged with two counts of possessing child sexual abuse material. He faces at least 10 years in prison without the possibility of parole if found guilty.
Bishop and two others, 34-year-old Jacob Breslin and 39-year-old Harold Nuckles, were indicted in August on similar charges.
