Boulder Man Pleads Guilty To Possession of Child Pornography

DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Wesley David Gilreath, age 29, of Boulder, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography.  Gilreath appeared at the change of plea hearing in custody, and was remanded at its conclusion.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2020.  The Denver office of the FBI joined in today’s announcement.

According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on May 31, 2019, Gilreath left his phone on an RTD bus.  The phone was recovered by RTD employees in Boulder, who provided it to the Boulder Police Department.  The FBI later obtained a warrant to search the phone.

The contents of Gilreath’s phone included 12,000 images and 200 videos depicting child pornography.  Gilreath also used the phone to seek out child pornography. 

On July 31,2019, the defendant was arrested pursuant to a federal warrant.  On August 1, 2019, the FBI searched the defendant’s residence.  Agents seized a thumb drive with approximately 22,000 images and 2,400 videos depicting child pornography.  Agents also seized a second phone with approximately 4,750 images and 1,400 videos depicting child pornography.  The child pornography on the thumb drive and both of the defendant’s phones included images and videos depicting toddlers and infants.  In addition, Gilreath used various social media, including three Twitter accounts, to knowingly receive, transport and distribute child pornography. 

“The child pornography images and videos the defendant possessed were utterly offensive,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.  “Thanks to the FBI, Boulder Police Department and RTD, we are able to get a serial child pornographer off our streets, protecting our children.”

Gilreath will remain in custody pending sentencing.  He was previously ordered detained after a detention hearing that included evidence that he had posted “hunting guides” online targeting Jews, Muslims, and other groups and had been researching locations of local religious institutions, including mosques and synagogues.

This case was investigated by the FBI with support from the Boulder Police Department and RTD.  The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Martinez.