Wood County Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Possession of Child Pornography

HUNTINGTON, WV—U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Wood County man pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography. Andrew Tracy Oldaker, 37, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, admitted that on November 4, 2011, 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. The defendant admitted that he knew the images and videos constituted child pornography. Oldaker also admitted that many of the images depicted prepubescent minors. Oldaker further admitted that at least one of the images portrays a prepubescent minor depicted in sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

On October 20, 2011, an undercover law enforcement officer logged onto the Internet and downloaded child pornography that was shared by the defendant. Oldaker admitted that he used the peer-to-peer file sharing program Frostwire to download, receive, and share child pornography.

Oldaker was previously convicted in August 1999 in the Circuit Court of Barbour County, West Virginia, of first-degree sexual abuse.

Oldaker faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison because of his previous conviction in 1999 in the Circuit Court of Barbour County, West Virginia of first-degree sexual abuse. The defendant also faces a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on March 11, 2013, by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation West Virginia Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Nitro Police Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston is in charge of the prosecution.

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.”