Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

CHARLESTON, WV—U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Kanawha County man was sentenced to federal prison for possessing child pornography. Richard Paul Diaz, 55, of St. Albans, West Virginia, was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Diaz previously pleaded guilty in April. Diaz admitted that on February 10, 2010, he knowingly possessed on his computer more than 600 images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; that is, actual or simulated sexual intercourse and the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area of the minors. Diaz also admitted that he knew the images and videos constituted child pornography. In addition, Diaz further admitted that he used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to share the child pornography.

The Kanawha Bureau of Investigation-West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Federal Bureau of Investigation-West Virginia Cyber Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the sentencing.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs/PSCpage.html. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and follow the link named “Resources.”