A former North Platte man will spend the next three decades in prison for manufacturing child pornography.

According to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, 32-year-old Billy Schrader appeared for sentencing on Tuesday in U.S. District Court, in Lincoln, where Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf sentenced him to 30 years in federal prison, the maximum sentence allowed for the offense.

Authorities say the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into allegations of child abuse committed by Schrader in November of 2013.

As a result of the investigation, deputies seized electronic items including cell phones and computers.

An examination of the devices by the North Platte Police Department resulted in the discovery of over 75,000 images of child pornography that prosecutors say were generated by Schrader and a co-defendant, Julia Thiemann.

The AG’s office says the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

The case was investigated by the North Platte Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Kale Burdick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Russell prosecuted the case.

In addition to the prison time, Schrader must also register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

Thiemann is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for sentencing on Thursday.