A Mississippi man will spend five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced Attorney General Jim Hood.

Harrison County Circuit Court Judge Larry Bourgeois sentenced 33-year-old Scotty Peel Monday on one count of child exploitation.

Peel was sentenced to 15 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with five years to serve and five years of post-release supervision. He must also pay a $2,000 fine, $1,000 to the Children’s Trust Fund, and register as a sex offender.

“Our cyber team has once again taken a dangerous predator off the internet, a tool that was being used to download images of young girls,” General Hood said. “Criminals think the internet is a safe place to hide, but our investigators find them every time. Thanks to Judge Bourgeois for putting him behind bars where he can’t take advantage of more children.”

This case was investigated by the AG’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Brandon Ogburn.