DES MOINES — Before a gallery of family and friends, former ISU assistant men’s basketball coach Randy Brown was sentenced Friday to 24 months in federal prison and fined $7,500 for receipt of child pornography.

On March 11, 2003, Brown was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography in the grand jury indictment. The possession charge was later dismissed.

Brown faced a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. William Marshall, a U.S. postal inspector from Des Moines, testified at the sentencing that the government could not produce evidence beyond Brown’s own statements that he had bartered or traded the images of minors he had received. In light of this testimony, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Longstaff granted Brown a downward departure from the sentencing guidelines.

Further testimony about Brown’s rehabilitation efforts and therapy was also given in an effort to reduce his sentence. Longstaff said since the therapy dealt with issues of depression and not directly with child pornography, this rehabilitation did not qualify as “extraordinary or atypical” and, therefore, did not affect the sentencing.

“I take full responsibility,” Brown said in a final statement to the court. “I’ve let down all the people … I love. For the past 14 months, recovery has been a main priority for me. Any sentence I serve, I request that I be allowed to serve it with my family.”

Longstaff said Brown’s sentence was particularly difficult to determine.

“I can’t pretend to identify the root causes that brought you here today,” he said. “[But] you violated the federal law. You are going to jail because that’s the law.

“[This sentence is] appropriate in view of your conduct and the amount of pornographic materials you downloaded.”

Brown’s wife, Mary Jo, was in attendance along with his parents and siblings. Before delivering the sentence, Longstaff held up a folder stuffed with letters he had received in support of Brown.

“I’m astounded by the network of family, friends and colleagues [that expressed their support],” Longstaff said.

Brown was first charged in March 2003, prior to the passing of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act of 2003. This act, passed in Congress on April 30 of that year, requires stricter penalties for violators of crimes that involve the exploitation of children.

Brown will be on supervised release for three years after he is released from prison. During this time, he must submit to mental health evaluations and polygraph testing. Other than his own children, he will not be allowed contact with children under the age of 18 unless accompanied by a responsible adult, he cannot view pornography of any kind and he cannot use a computer with online access without approval from the court.

Brown was assessed an additional $100 fine that would go to the Crime Victims Fund.

Brown was given permission by the court to self-report for his sentence, which will begin in three or four months, Longstaff said. The location of the prison where Brown will serve his sentence is yet to be decided.