By DONNA THORNTON, Editor
A Marshall County man was sentenced to 200 years in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material, Marshall County District Attorney Jennifer Bray announced Jan. 5.
Gary Stephen Greenwell, 67, of Guntersville, was been sentenced by Circuit Judge Matt Elliott to a total of 200 years in prison for possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The State was represented in this case by Bray.
Greenwell entered a blind plea in October 2025, meaning there was no agreement with the state regarding his sentence. Because Greenwell’s had one prior felony conviction, the statutory range of punishment for each count was two to 20 years in prison. Elliott sentenced Greenwell to 20 years on each of the 10 counts, to be served consecutively, resulting in the maximum possible sentence of 200 years to serve. In a press release, Bray said the sentence ensures that Greenwell will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Bray detailed how the investigation began and unfolded. In late March 2025, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Tehryn Franks received a tip through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force indicating that an individual using an IP address associated with Greenwell’s residence had uploaded CSAM.
During the investigation, Franks learned that Greenwell had previously been convicted by a jury in the State of Michigan for molesting a teenage boy. Greenwell was sentenced to 25 to 45 years in a Michigan prison and was paroled in 2017. After his release, Greenwell relocated to Alabama, where he was registered as a sex offender with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, as required by Alabama law.
Based on the ICAC tip and Greenwell’s criminal history, Franks obtained a search warrant for Greenwell’s residence and electronic devices. Several electronic devices were seized and later submitted for digital forensic analysis to the Marshall County Major Crime Unit Digital Forensics Lab, where they were examined by District Attorney’s Office Investigator Barry Maddux.
Maddux testified that his forensic examination revealed more than 10,000 images depicting pre-pubescent boys and girls being raped and sodomized across five devices seized from Greenwell’s home. Greenwell was arrested on April 1, 2025 and has remained in the Marshall County Jail since that date.
At his sentencing hearing, Greenwell spoke for approximately 30 minutes, emphasizing what he described as a successful career and a life filled with opportunity. However, throughout his remarks, Greenwell never accepted responsibility for his actions, nor did he acknowledge the harm caused by his crimes or the danger he poses as a sexual predator of children, Bray’s press release stated.
“The volume and nature of the material found in his possession is 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,” said Bray.
Bray expressed her gratitude to the court and to law enforcement for their work on this case.
“We thank Judge Elliott for his commitment to protecting our community and for ensuring that offenders like Greenwell never walk among us again,” Bray said. “I also want to thank the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office investigators, especially Investigator Tehryn Franks, as well as Investigator Barry Maddux with our office, for their exceptional work on a difficult and disturbing case. Their diligence ensured that this dangerous offender will no longer have access to harm children.”
Gary Stephen Greenwell, 67, of Guntersville, was been sentenced by Circuit Judge Matt Elliott to a total of 200 years in prison for possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
