A Madison man was sentenced Tuesday to life in federal prison for his involvement with a child sexual abuse website.

William Michael Spearman, 58, of Madison, pleaded guilty last year to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

He received the maximum sentence under the law.

According to court documents, Spearman was the lead administrator of the website, which included sections devoted to the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and images and videos depicting children being subjected to pain and torture. The site also gave tips on avoiding detection by law enforcement.

Spearman managed a staff, directing them on how to run the site, and recommended other users for promotion. He also kept records of child sexual abuse material advertised and distributed over the site, presided over staff meetings, praised and scolded users, and counseled users and other managers about the functions and expectations of the website, according to prosecutors.

An additional six people in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Washington and Nevada have either pleaded guilty or been sentenced to prison in connection with the case.