Fresno man charged with distribution of child pornography

A Fresno man is facing child pornography distribution charges in federal court.

Gary Lee Briggs, 63, was allegedly spotted last month trying to lure an 8-year-old boy into his apartment that’s located west of Highway 99, according to U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott.

When officers spoke to Briggs, he told them he was trying to test his ability to withstand urges that attracted him to the boy.

Briggs also admitted that Facebook recently had terminated his account for sending sexually explicit material.

Facebook had notified the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that Briggs’s Facebook account had been used to transmit sexually explicit images of minors from August through December 2019.

Briggs, who was formally charged Thursday in Fresno federal court, faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate Briggs, who lived at an apartment complex near Marks and Valentine avenues.

Investigators ask anyone with additional information about Briggs or any illegal activity involving registered sex offenders to report by calling the Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111 or Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.

This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 8:47 PM.