A Limestone County couple has been sentenced to several years in prison after pleading guilty to child exploitation charges, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Bethany Leigh Siniard, 37, of Elkmont and Gregory Wade Anderson, 49, of Athens each pleaded guilty in 2019 to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Siniard today to 235 months, or about 19.5 years, in prison followed by 60 months of supervised release.

Anderson was sentenced Jan. 25 to 240 months, or 20 years, in prison followed by 240 months of supervised release.

“These sentences send a message that exploiting vulnerable children will result in federal incarceration,” U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona said. “The collaborative work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners exemplifies our commitment to investigate and prosecute those engaged in exploitation of innocent children.”

Siniard and Anderson were arrested by the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office in August 2018 after a teenager revealed they were self-harming and was brought to the hospital. Once there, the teen told a counselor that Siniard would take photos of them to share with Anderson. A search revealed photos and other evidence.

Additional charges were added over the next few months as more photos were uncovered and another victim came forward.