Today, Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced the sentencing of Keith Blake Clifton of Fulton, Mississippi, for one count of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Fulton Police Department, and the Itawamba County Sheriff's Department. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
“Child sexual abuse is a horrific crime that does extraordinary physical, mental, and emotional damage to the victim. And when it is recorded or photographed, that child’s trauma occurs over and over again. We are proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners to help these victims achieve justice and closure, and help protect other children from abuse,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
Clifton admitted to sexually abusing a child in his care and producing photographs and videos of the abuse. The investigation uncovered more than 1,000 images of child sexual abuse. On December 3, 2025, Clifton was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown to 20 years in federal prison – 180 months for his production of child sexual abuse material and 60 months for distribution of child sexual abuse material to be served consecutively – and 5 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $66,500 in restitution and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Local charges are also pending, prosecuted by District Attorney Jason Herring, as a result of the Attorney General's Office's investigation.
This case originated after investigators with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). If you have information about a child being sexually exploited online, please report it to 1-800-843-5678. You can also make a report online at www.cybertipline.org. The hotline is manned by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and tips are reported to the Attorney General’s Office, which runs the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for Mississippi.
