U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson | U.S. Department of Justice
Andrew Taylor Wood, a former Navy sailor from Stafford, Virginia, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for transporting child sexual abuse material. The sentence was handed down on September 12, 2024, by the U.S. District Court of Guam. In addition to his prison term, Wood will face ten years of supervised release and must pay $86,500 in restitution to 12 victims along with a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
Wood's criminal activities spanned from at least 2016 until 2022. During this period, he possessed and distributed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors and material portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct. He used Dropbox accounts to upload and share these materials online, trading access with others for additional content. As he moved between duty stations with the U.S. Navy, Wood transported numerous electronic devices containing such material.
U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in bringing Wood to justice: "This case reveals how CSAM is spread through electronic means. Children remain victimized for life."
HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas emphasized their commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society: "The exploitation of children is a heinous crime... We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that those who engage in such reprehensible acts are held accountable."
The investigation was conducted by HSI and NCIS and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin K. Petersburg in Guam.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation via the Internet.
