Former Marion County correctional officer gets 20 years for sexually exploiting children
INDIANAPOLIS (WIBC) — A former Marion County correctional officer will spend 20 years in federal prison because investigators say he sexually exploited children.
The U.S. Department of Justice says 26-year-old Cory Terry pled guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Terry was arrested in 2022. It was during that time that he was a corrections officer in Marion County.
Court documents say that between April 9, 2022, and April 26, 2022, Terry spoke to an 11-year-old girl on Discord, which is a communications platform that’s popular with both adults and children interested in gaming. Terry had sexually explicit conversations with the child and told him to send her videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The girl told Terry repeatedly that she did not want to send him explicit material, but Terry told the girl on one occasion, “you don’t get to say no.” The girl said Terry was doing this all while her parents were nearby and she wanted to go to sleep.
Investigators say Terry’s second victim was a 15-year-old girl that he spoke with using the social media application called Snapchat between March 19, 2022, and July 29, 2022. During those conversations, court documents say Terry referred to this child as “little one” and requested that she send him sexually explicit photos and videos.
“From now on you will show me all of your little body whenever I need it,” was one of the sentences Terry said to the 15-year-old. Police say this was just one of the many threats and coercions he used to get the sexually explicit material and conduct from the girl.
When Terry’s home was searched, FBI agents say they found multiple cellphones containing at least five sexually explicit videos of one of the victims and more than 600 images and videos showing the abuse of children as young as three. Some of the children were subjected to sadomasochistic conduct.
“Pedophiles know that the applications and devices our children use every day give them access to groom and sexually exploit victims anywhere in the world,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, in a statement “The criminals who seek to exploit our children are at fault and must be held accountable, especially when they hold positions of public trust-but there are steps parents and other caring adults can take to help keep kids safe online. The serious sentence imposed here demonstrates the commitment of our office and the FBI make our children safer from exploitation and abuse.”
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Brookman also ordered that Terry be supervised for life following his release from federal prison and register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school. Terry was also ordered to pay $20,0000 in restitution to the victims.
