U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson | U.S. Department of Justice
Cameron Drake Newsome, a 25-year-old resident of Williamson, has pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography. The plea was entered in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents reveal that on November 1, 2019, Newsome used a cell phone to take two photographs of an approximately three-year-old child in Williamson. The images focused on the child's genitals while the child was naked from the waist down. Newsome admitted to taking these photographs and storing them in an online file storage account, thus transporting them across state lines via the internet. Additionally, he confessed to storing numerous other images and videos depicting minors, including prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Sentencing for Newsome is set for April 24, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The sentence also includes at least five years and potentially a lifetime of supervised release along with a $250,000 fine. Newsome will be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the guilty plea and praised the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit for their investigative efforts.
The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. This project unites federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
For further information about Project Safe Childhood, individuals can visit www.justice.gov/psc. Additional details regarding this case are available through PACER under Case No. 2:24-cr-111.
