Sebring man sentenced to 40 years for local sex crimes, child porn
Billy Joe Gann was sentenced to 40 years for local sex crimes involving children.
SEBRING, Fla. - The FBI contacted the Highlands County Special Victims Unit in June 2021 after discovering that 33-year-old Billy Joe Gann was chatting with an undercover agent during an operation in Wisconsin.
Investigators said Gann told the undercover agent that he had molested a child and shared photos of children.
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Gann was arrested on the same day and charged with 51 felonies, including multiple counts lewd/lascivious molestation and possession and distribution of child pornography according to officials.
Members of SVU said they followed up with federal investigators and a federal grand jury to help indict Gann on multiple federal child pornography charges.
In October 2022, Gann was sentenced to 35 years on federal charges.
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On Monday, Judge Angela Cowden sentenced him to 40 years for the local charges. Cowden ordered that the state sentence run concurrently with the federal one.
Officials say Gann has been in jail since being arrested and will serve every day of his 40-year sentence. After being released from federal custody, he will serve the rest of his sentence in state prison.
Gann will be on probation as a sexual predator for the rest of his life after being released from prison.