Lubbock Justice: Ex-Marine Receives 19-Year Sentence for Child Abuse Images

A Lubbock man and former marine was arrested in January for the receipt and distribution of child pornography. Recently, he was handed a 19-year prison sentence for his charges.

How It Started

Joshua Klemme, 34, was investigated in 2022 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after sexual abuse materials were uploaded from his place of residence.

Texas DPS was alerted and took Klemme's cell phone for review. What they found was over 200 images and videos of abuse. Even more abuse was found on other devices of his. The grand total of images gathered from his other devices totaled an astonishing 12,700.

Disturbing content such as torture and bestiality were also found in his possession. according to Lubbock Online.

Claims of PTSD

Klemme's attorney attempted to argue a lesser sentence by claiming that his client was suffering from post-traumatic stress. Klemme had witnessed extensive trauma during his service as a U.S. marine, including a friend's death and two suicides.

His attorney also berated the treatment of veterans, saying that society failed in training him to be a good citizen after his service. He concluded by telling the judge that a sentence of 11 to 14 years would be better suited for someone in Klemme's situation.

The prosecutor in his case refused to believe that post-traumatic stress led to possession of child pornography, and that his actions were caused by a desire for children that already existed before his PTSD diagnosis.

Ultimately, the judge ruled against Klemme's plea for a shorter sentence, and the 19 years in prison remained.

"I don't think the side effect of PTSD is a sexual attraction to children", he said in a statement within Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Klemme will spend the full 19 years in prison followed by a supervised release for 10 years. He will also have to pay a total of $12,500 in restitution and fines, and he will have to register as a sex offender.