A former Weakley County resident, who had recently moved to Henry County, has been indicted on federal child pornography charges from incidents that allegedly took place dating back to 2003, and is currently in federal custody in Memphis.
University of Tennessee at Martin graduate student William Barry Morris, 49, who formerly lived on Adams Road in Weakley County, was indicted on March 15 on four counts of pornography involving minors, following a lengthy investigation that began on a local level with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department and resulted in his arrest by federal agents.
According to the indictment obtained from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Morris’ personal computer, which was confiscated by federal agents during the course of the investigation, had over 1,800 computer images and movie files stored on it, including those showing “a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
The allegations go on to read in the indictment that around September and December of 2003, “the defendant, William Barry Morris knowingly used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor female who was 11 years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, specifically the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2256, for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.”
The indictment goes on to say Morris “then knowing and having reason to know that said visual depictions would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce ...”
Morris is also being accused of “knowingly receiving visual depictions (computer image files)” of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Morris was not given a bond during his March 23 detention hearing, because, according to Leanne Jordan from the U.S. Attorney General’s office in Memphis, he was considered a “risk.” An arraignment was scheduled in U.S. Federal Court in Memphis on March 31. If Morris enters a not guilty plea, a report date will be set as well as a trial date for later this year.
If convicted on all of the counts against him, Morris could receive a maximum of a 60-year sentence and fines up to $750,000 dollars.

Six people were arrested for selling alcohol to minors in Martin Wednesday night, after investigators with the Martin Police Department performed an undercover check for compliance with the law involving several Martin businesses that sell beer.
Lieutenant Sam Liles, Investigator Tommy Erwin and Patrolman Stacy Bostwick sent an undercover agent for the Martin Police Department, who is under the age of 21, into retail sales outlets of alcohol in the city of Martin and attempted to purchase alcohol.
The agent was able to purchase alcohol in six different stores in Martin. Those arrested and the businesses they work for are as follows:
Sheri Wiley, 34, of Martin sold to the agent at Suiter’s Service Station on North Lindell Street.
Stacy Holbrook, 28, of Dresden sold to the agent at 3 J’s on Elm Street
Brenda Futrell, 51, of Martin sold to the agent at J.J.’s Quick shop on Main Street.
Hope Boyd, 21, of Martin sold to the agent at Little General on Skyhawk Parkway.
Nicole Franklin, 20, of Martin sold to the agent at Pocket’s Shell on University St.
Gerardo Hurtado, 23, of Martin sold to the agent at Los Portales Restaurant on University Street.

(Read the rest of this story in this week's print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)