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

James Bryant, Jr., 27, of Hattiesburg, and Charles Lewis Freeman, Jr., 48, of Waynesboro, were arrested at their homes and each charged with one count of child exploitation for possession of child pornography.

Bryant was arrested Wednesday by the Hattiesburg Police Department and booked into the Forrest County Adult Correctional Facility. Investigative assistance for this case was provided by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Hattiesburg Police Department and the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office.

Freeman was arrested Wednesday by an investigator of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Division and booked into the Wayne County jail.

If convicted, they both face up to 40 years in prison. 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. Both cases will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Brandon Ogburn.