A Glen Allen man was sentenced on July 29 to 19 years and seven months in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, law enforcement obtained the cellphone of Phillip Michael Taft, 40, at his probation office on Feb. 14, 2024, after a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators identified photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse material on Taft’s phone and discovered approximately 20 videos with similar content in his synchronous account.
The FBI reviewed text messages from Taft’s phone and found an exchange between Feb. 12 and Feb. 14, 2024, where he discussed various sexual topics and exchanged several images and videos, including at least one showing the sexual abuse of children.
Taft has previous criminal convictions; most recently, on May 6, 2025, he was convicted of eight felony counts for the sexual abuse of animals and eight felony counts for permitting sexual contact with an animal to be conducted on premises under his ownership or control. His federal sentence will be served consecutively to his state sentence.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.,
Assistant U.S. Attorney Janet Jin Ah Lee and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore 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 child exploitation online.