A former Hall County school bus driver was sentenced Thursday to six years in federal prison for distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.

John Cooper Spinks, 41, admitted to receipt, possession and distribution of child pornography in a June hearing in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Cole and was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge William O'Kelley on Thursday.

"Based on a lack of criminal history, his cooperation in the case and that it wasn't as aggravated as others, the judge imposed 72 months," said Spinks' attorney Dan Summer.

"He acknowledged his responsibility, expressed remorse and the judge heard from several good character witnesses who testified."
The six years in prison will be followed by 20 years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.

There is no parole in the federal prison system.

"We're satisfied that justice has been served in this case and that the sentence imposed was reasonable under these circumstances," Summer said.

"I commend U.S. attorneys Sally Quillian and Jill Steinberg for keeping an open mind as to what the reasonable sentence was in this situation, given the surge of these cases and the proliferation of the Internet."

Under law, Spinks could have faced a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.

"I think it was a humanistic approach rather than mechanistic," Summer said.

"The penalty for this is extremely harsh. However, I think the district court and U.S. court realized it was too harsh if following a rigid formula. Reasonableness was injected."

Spinks was arrested March 25 by FBI agents at his Oakwood home, and the agents took his laptop computer and other electronics.

He was accused of transmitting sexually explicit images of children during Internet chats with undercover agents, using the name "#baby&toddlerlove."

Spinks told agents he had searched for, downloaded and viewed sexually explicit images, and the agents found hundreds of images on his computer.

An FBI agent testified during a March bond hearing that Spinks confessed to him, saying he had "a sickness."

Since 2006, Spinks drove a school bus route that included McEver Elementary, West Hall Middle and West Hall High schools. He was terminated from the job following his arrest.

"As a school bus driver, this defendant was in daily contact with the children of Hall County," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a news release.

"While he was entrusted with our children by day, he was later searching for, downloading and distributing sexually exploitative images of children at his home computer."

Spinks also was chaplain and vice president of Christian Men for America, which last year organized several "God and Country" rallies at area churches. Several candidates for governor, including Nathan Deal, John Oxendine and Eric Johnson, were invited to and attended the rallies.

Under the conditions of a $50,000 bond granted in March, Spinks is prohibited from having Internet access or being in close contact with children.

Spinks' 7-year-old daughter lives elsewhere and he can only see her during supervised visits.

Staff writer Melissa Weinman contributed to this report.