Ryan Bobby Schnettler, a 34-year-old resident of Benwood, West Virginia, has admitted to charges related to child pornography. The admission was made in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Court documents reveal that Schnettler was under supervision due to a previous sex offense conviction. During a home visit, officers discovered undocumented phones in his possession. Schnettler confessed to entering chat rooms where he impersonated a 17-year-old male to communicate with minors. A search warrant allowed law enforcement to examine the seized phones, uncovering hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse material and screenshots of conversations with minor females.

Schnettler could face up to 20 years in prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Probation Office. Proceedings were overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone.