HICKORY, N.C. —

A former firefighter in Hickory, North Carolina, has been sentenced to prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, according to officials.

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that 22-year-old Nate Eli Kurzak was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Kurzak will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released.

Hickory Police Department

According to court records, in August 2023, law enforcement received information that an individual later identified as Kurzak was using a cloud-based file hosting site to upload suspected child sexual abuse material, known as CSAM.

Officers with the Hickory Police Department searched Kurzak’s home, seizing a computer, a cell phone, and other electronic

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