Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography

CHARLESTON, WV— Robert Dale Eady, 43, of Branchland, West Virginia, pled guilty before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to distributing child pornography. Eady admitted that in August 2008, he produced several images of child pornography using a digital camera. The images were of a minor under the age of 12 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In November 2008, Eady used his home computer and a peer-to-peer file sharing program to distribute and receive via the Internet child pornography, that is, images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sexual intercourse and the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area of the minors. Many of the images and videos Eady distributed depicted prepubescent minors and included the images he produced and some depicted sadistic or masochistic conduct. Eady knowingly possessed over 600 images and videos on his computer depicting child pornography. In addition to the child used by Eady to produce child pornography, several of the images and videos distributed and possessed by him have been identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as depicting known children. The images and videos of these children engaged in sexually explicit conduct were produced in states other than West Virginia.

When he is sentenced on January 12, 2010, Eady faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervision by the Court upon his release from prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation. AUSA Karen B. Schommer is handling the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about cases and related activities please visit www.usdoj.gov/usao/wvs and www.projectsafechildhood.gov.