Texas Man with Cullman Ties Sentenced Eight Years for Possessing Child Pornography

HUNTSVILLE—A federal judge today sentenced a former resident of Cullman County who was investigated in connection with the 2008 disappearance and murder of his stepdaughter to eight years in prison for possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley.

U.S. District Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. sentenced RAYMOND ALFRED GAGNON, 43, of San Antonio, Texas, for possessing a computer and related media containing images of child pornography. Gagnon pleaded guilty to the charge last year. Judge Smith ordered that the 97-month sentenced he imposed be served consecutively to a nearly 17-year prison sentence Gagnon is serving on a 2008 child pornography conviction in a federal court in Texas.

A Vermont man, Michael Jacques, is charged in federal court in Vermont with kidnapping resulting in death, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography in relation to the murder of Gagnon’s stepdaughter, who was living in Vermont. The District of Vermont is seeking the death penalty in the case.

According to the government’s sentencing memorandum in the Alabama case, Gagnon had produced a pornographic video of his stepdaughter when she was 12 years old and he was living in Tallassee. Gagnon also admitted that in June 2007, he and Jacques sexually assaulted another young girl, Jacques’ stepdaughter, according to the memorandum.

“Gagnon’s long history with and vast collection of child pornography is typical of a child predator who would sexually assault a young girl,” Vance said. “His actions are morally reprehensible and he needs to be locked away,” she said.

According to information presented by the government as part of Gagnon’s 2010 plea hearing, he was part of an ongoing investigation regarding the disappearance of his stepdaughter, who was last seen at a convenience store in Vermont. The girl was later found murdered and buried in a shallow grave. During the initial investigation, Gagnon admitted that after he learned of her disappearance, he flew from San Antonio to Vermont by way of Cullman.

Gagnon owns a house in Cullman. The charges he pleaded guilty to involve child pornography found on a computer and related media at the Cullman residence. Gagnon admitted to possessing those computers.

Gagnon also admitted that while in Cullman, he went to the Cullman Public Library to attempt to access the missing girl’s MySpace account and Amber Alert information.

During the investigation, Gagnon instructed an acquaintance to dispose of a safe in his San Antonio residence. Gagnon stated that the safe contained a laptop computer that was used to access the missing girl’s MySpace page, and which contained vast amounts of child pornography he had downloaded from the Internet. Gagnon admitted to possessing sexual images of children as young as 5 years old.

In 2008, as part of the investigation, a federal grand jury in Texas indicted Gagnon for transporting child pornography. He pleaded guilty to that offense and was sentenced 200 months in prison.

Gagnon has remained in custody since his arrest in 2008.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Stuart Burrell prosecuted the case.