JACKSONVILLE – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger sentenced Meggin Anne Evans, 35, of Middleburg, to 21 years and 10 months years in federal prison for the production of child sexual abuse material. Evans has been in custody since her arrest on Nov. 7, 2022. She entered a guilty plea on March 1.

According to court documents, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) initiated an investigation after receiving information about five files of child sexual abuse material that had been sent over a social media application. PCSO’s investigation revealed that the files were sent from the Putnam County Jail.

PCSO connected the social media account to Brandon Paul Smolinski, Evans’s husband, who worked for a transportation company inside the jail. The company provided Smolinski’s work schedule and confirmed that he was working in the jail on the dates and times the files had been shared from within the jail.

PCSO contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to request assistance, as Smolinski’s residence was in Middleburg. CCSO investigators discovered that the internet service at Smolinski’s residence was also used to upload CSAM files using the same social media application.

Detectives from PCSO and CCSO approached Smolinski in the parking lot at the Putnam County Jail. Smolinski admitted to distributing files of CSAM. He also told detectives he watched CSAM with Evans and sent Evans CSAM from jail.

During a forensic review of Smolinski’s cellphone, law enforcement discovered multiple files of CSAM, including a video sent to Evans on June 27, 2022. In addition, they located several chat messages between Smolinski and Evans, during which they talked about exploiting children and their sexual attraction to children. On Oct. 28, 2021, Smolinski and Evans discussed performing specific sex acts on children and made plans to groom children for sex. Evans then sent Smolinski a photograph she had taken of a child to whom Evans had access, depicting child sexual abuse. 

Smolinksi was sentenced in June 2023 to 17 years and six months in federal prison for the distribution of child sexual abuse.

“The sentencing of Meggin Evans for production of child sexual abuse material, and her husband’s sentencing earlier this year for distribution, is a testament to the commitment of the detectives and special agents who work relentlessly to combat the sexual abuse of children,” said Tim Hemker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville. “Working alongside our partners at the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, we remain committed in our resolve to identify and rescue child victims and bring child sexual predators to justice.”       

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

The Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force investigated this case, which included Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

It 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 justice.gov/psc.