CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Kanawha County man was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in federal prison for a child pornography crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jeffrey Scott Beard, 37, of Clendenin, previously pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Beard was also ordered to serve the remainder of his life on federal supervised release after completion of his prison term, and will additionally be required to register as a sex offender.
Beard admitted that he received images on his computer of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered that Beard was using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download, receive, and distribute child pornography images and videos. FBI Special Agents executed a federal search warrant at Beard’s Clendenin residence in March 2017, and seized computers and other digital media storage devices containing child pornography.
“This case should send a strong message that online child sexual exploitation investigations and prosecutions are a priority for this office," stated U.S. Attorney Stuart. “Beard’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the need to deter others inclined to engage in similar activity. I greatly appreciate the excellent and hard work of the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Parkersburg Police Department."
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
