Fayetteville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

BECKLEY, WV—Joseph W. Lies, 57, of Fayetteville, West Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger for possessing child pornography. Lies previously pleaded guilty in March. Lies admitted that on April 29, 2010, he possessed more than 600 images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, that is, actual or stimulated sexual intercourse and the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area of the minors. Lies further admitted to downloading many of the images and videos using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program called Limewire, which was installed on his computer at his Fayetteville residence.

In March 2008, an undercover officer downloaded an image of child pornography that was distributed by Lies. Many of the images and videos depict known children who have been identified by the Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted 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.