CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cedar Grove man pled guilty to possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Benjamin Franklin Thomas, 32, pled guilty to one count of possessing child pornography in January 2019.
“Make no mistake, we’re coming after those that sexually exploit children,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We’ll prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and seek maximum prison sentences.”
Thomas admitted that that he used his smart phone to search for images of child pornography on the Internet, download the images, and save them to his Google Photos while residing in Cedar Grove in Kanawha County. Images possessed by Thomas included prepubescent minors and images depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct and sexual exploitation of very young children.
Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on June 18, 2020.
The South Charleston Police Department, the Cedar Grove Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott is handling the prosecution.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Follow us on Twitter:SDWVNewsand USAttyStuart
###