Former Ft. Eustis Soldier Guilty of Sexual Abuse and Receipt of Child Pornography

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—James Richard Koegel, 27, stationed at Ft. Eustis, was found guilty yesterday of sexual abuse, multiple counts of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, as well as one count of possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children following a two-day trial.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the decision was reached by United States District Judge Henry C. Morgan.

Koegel was indicted in October 2010, by a federal grand jury on one count of aggravated sexual abuse, six counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.

Sentencing has been set for September 12, 2011. He faces a maximum sentence of more than 130 years in prison.

According to court documents Koegel, who was working as an Army mechanic at Fort Eustis, was accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl. When officers responded, the defendant’s wife informed officers that Koegel had been looking at child pornography. The officers seized Koegel’s computer, and a forensic exam revealed over 100 child pornography movies and over 100,000 obscene cartoons from Japan depicting the sexual abuse of children.

This case was investigated by FBI and Ft. Eustis Army CID. Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov.