Guntersville Man Receives 200-Year Prison Sentence in Child Exploitation Case

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. — A Guntersville man has been sentenced to 200 years in prison following his conviction on multiple counts related to the possession of child sexual abuse material, District Attorney Jennifer Bray announced.

Gary Stephen Greenwell, 67, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to 10 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in what is known as a “blind plea,” meaning no agreement was made with prosecutors regarding the sentence. Circuit Judge Matt Elliott subsequently imposed the maximum penalty — 20 years on each count, to be served consecutively — totaling 200 years in prison.

Because of Greenwell’s prior felony conviction, each count carried a statutory sentencing range of 2 to 20 years.

According to authorities, the investigation began in March 2025 when the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office received a tip through the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force involving an IP address associated with Greenwell’s residence. A search warrant was later obtained, and multiple electronic devices were seized.

A forensic review conducted by the Marshall County Major Crime Unit Digital Forensics Lab revealed more than 10,000 illegal images involving the sexual exploitation of children across five devices, investigators testified. Greenwell was arrested on April 1, 2025, and has remained in the Marshall County Jail since that date.

Officials also noted that Greenwell had previously been convicted in Michigan for sexually abusing a teenage boy and was paroled in 2017 before relocating to Alabama, where he registered as a sex offender as required by law.

District Attorney Bray said the sentence reflects both the seriousness of the crimes and the threat posed to children.

“The volume and nature of the material found in his possession are horrifying. The sentence imposed today reflects the severity of these crimes and sends a clear message that the sexual exploitation of children will not be tolerated in Marshall County,” Bray said.

Bray expressed gratitude to law enforcement officers, digital forensic investigators, and the court for their work on what she described as a difficult and disturbing case.

“We thank Judge Elliott for his commitment to protecting our community,” Bray said. “The diligent work of investigators ensured that this dangerous offender will no longer have access to harm children.”

Greenwell is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison under the consecutive sentence structure imposed by the court.

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