Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Producing Child Pornography

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to 27 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material in his home.

According to court documents, on or about March 20, 2021, Jason Woolwine, 44, produced a video of himself sexually abusing a four-year-old victim. Woolwine’s exploits were discovered during the child pornography investigation of John Stanley Zelinsky. Zelinsky, 70, of Newport News, confessed to FBI agents that he and Woolwine were romantically involved, shared their sexual fantasies about children over instant messaging application services, and showed federal agents the video he received from Woolwine with the toddler.

The FBI immediately began its investigation into Woolwine and confirmed the information from Zelinsky. Despite Woolwine’s use of anti-forensic evidence destruction software, forensic examination was able to retrieve images of child pornography from Woolwine’s cellular phone, to include the self-produced video with the young boy inside Woolwine’s home.

Zelinsky pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and received a sentence of 7 years’ imprisonment on April 26. On November 5, 2021, Woolwine pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. Woolwine received a sentence of 27 years for his crime.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf prosecuted the case.

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 epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Child Exploitation Task Force (NCETF). The NCETF is composed of FBI agents and detectives from the Chesapeake Police Department, Hampton Police Division, and Newport News Police Department. Assistance in this matter was also provided by federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. Tips regarding child exploitation can be provided to the task force at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-46.