A former doctor in Tupelo was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in federal prison for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse materials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi announced.
Ali Ahmad, 38, of Tupelo, pleaded guilty to using applications and the internet to download and distribute images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement was tipped to his actions when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified Ahmad, a neurologist at North Mississippi Medical Center at the time, as a perpetrator.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation and secured search warrants for Ahmad’s profile on a digital app he used to distribute graphic images and for his residence. Investigators found “extensive child pornography” on the app, along with “selfie” style images of Ahmad in various sexual poses.
Chief Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Ahmad to 144 months of incarceration followed by five years of supervision. He was also ordered to pay $112,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense. Since there were 28 victims, each will receive $4,000.
“The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting our community’s most vulnerable members,” Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said. “We are pleased to announce that Mr. Ahmad has been brought to justice in federal court. Cases involving child victims are of utmost importance to our agency, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure their safety and well-being.”
“Silence in the face of evil allows evil to flourish,” U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary added. “Child exploitation to satisfy distorted adult appetites is evil. Child pornography is evil. There is a moral responsibility to take action when a society, or person, confronts evil. Good men and women stepped forward in this case and confronted the evil of child pornography.”
Because Ahmad is a native of Pakistan and in Mississippi on a work visa, his visa has been revoked, and he will be deported after serving his sentence. He is also facing state charges for the crimes, which are pending.