Augusta man sentenced to federal prison for child sexual exploitation

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - An Augusta man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

According to officials, Martin Lindner, 52, of Augusta, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $66,500.

Court documents and testimony show that in February 2025, Lindner received child pornography, including videos and images, depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Using his home computer, Lindner would receive the material via a peer-to-peer file sharing software.

“This sentence reflects the seriousness of crimes that exploit and victimize children,” said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Protecting children from predators is one of our highest priorities and we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in these reprehensible offenses.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.