WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A federal grand jury returned indictments today charging three Northern West Virginia residents with child pornography offenses, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Robert J. Gongloff, 25, of Weirton, West Virginia, is alleged to have produced numerous images and videos depicting nude minors and minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Gongloff, originally from Preston County, West Virginia, is further alleged to have misrepresented his name and age on a website known as MeetMe.com, claiming to be 17 years old and using the name “Johnny Williamson," in order to transmit sexually explicit photographs to minor females. Following an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the West Virginia State Police, Gongloff is charged with:
• One count of “Possession of Child Pornography," for which he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00, and
• Two counts of “Production of Child Pornography." He faces between 15 and 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00 on each count.
Matthew A. Amedeo, 69, of Chester, West Virginia, is alleged to have utilized an online file sharing website to share and download various images of child pornography in Hancock County, West Virginia throughout 2014. Following an investigation by the West Virginia State Police, Amedeo is charged with:
• One count of “Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography," for which he faces between five and twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00, and
• One count of “Possession of Child Pornography," for which he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.
Stephen Singo, 34, of Weirton, West Virginia, is alleged to have utilized an online file sharing website to share and download various images of child pornography. Following an investigation by the West Virginia State Police, Singo is charged with:
• One count of “Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography," for which he faces between five and twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00, and
• One count of “Possession of Child Pornography," for which he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vogrin is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
