Man sentenced to nine years for possession, promotion of child pornography

COLUMBIA — A Columbia man was sentenced Monday in Boone County Circuit Court to a total of nine years in prison for possession and promotion of child pornography.

According to Missouri Case.net, Boone County Circuit Judge Kevin Crane sentenced Clarence Arthur Tremaine, 34, to five years for first-degree promotion of child pornography and four years for possession of child pornography. The sentences will be served concurrently.

On Dec. 19, 2008, a Boone County jury found Tremaine guilty on both counts and recommended he serve four years for possession and seven years for promotion.

The Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force located Tremaine after they became aware child porn was being shared from his computer using the "peer to peer network" on the file-sharing program LimeWire. The task force then tracked the computer's physical location with its Internet Protocol, or IP, address.

After three months, investigators obtained his computer, and Tremaine was arrested on June 13, 2007.

According to Missourian archives, he was accused of having and sharing about 17 videos on his computer, which depicted children of both genders between ages 8 and 12 participating in various sexual acts.

Public defender, Tony Manansala argued during the trial that Tremaine had no experience using LimeWire and that other people had access to his computer. But task force coordinator Andy Anderson testified Tremaine made statements to investigators admitting he did download child pornography.