Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Nicholas Stephen Woodyard (30, St. Augustine) to 10 years and 8 months in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse materials, to be followed by a life term of supervised release. The court also ordered Woodyard to pay $5,000 in restitution to a victim of his crime. Nicholas Woodyard had pleaded guilty on March 5, 2021. Co-defendant Patrick Woodyard (Nicholas Woodyard’s twin brother) was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison December 2020, following his pleading guilty on August 28, 2020. Both men had been indicted on March 4, 2020, for the distribution, receipt, and possession of images and videos depicting children being sexually abused.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating the internet upload of an image depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The image had been distributed from the Woodyard brothers’ residence in St. Augustine. Agents executed a search warrant and seized electronic devices that contained hundreds of files of child sex abuse materials, including videos of the sexual assault of a toddler-aged child. A forensic examination of one of these devices revealed Nicholas Woodyard’s efforts to secretly record his close family members while they were naked and his attempts and desires to engage in incest.
“Children are the most vulnerable victims, and predators such as this use extraordinary means and sophisticated deceptions to target and victimize innocent children across our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (Jacksonville) Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to the incredible work and dedication of our HSI special agents and our partners with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, this predator will no longer have access to such victims.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, working with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.