Two Mississippi men face up to 80 years in prison for child pornography possession charges

Published 2:39 pm Friday, May 24, 2019

Two men were arrested this week in separate cases after investigators discovered suspicious online activity, announced Attorney General Jim Hood.

William Dale Scrimpshire, 65, of Pachuta, and William Andrew Chapman, 36, of Columbia, were arrested at their homes and charged with two counts of child exploitation for possession of child pornography. If convicted, they both face up to 80 years in prison.

Scrimpshire was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Clarke County Detention Center. Chapman was arrested Thursday and booked into the Marion County Adult Correctional Facility.

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A charge is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

These cases were investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with assistance from the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Columbia Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. They will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Brandon Ogburn.