Cameron Drake Newsome, a 25-year-old resident of Williamson, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the production of child pornography. He will also undergo 25 years of supervised release, pay $7,000 in restitution, and register as a sex offender.
Court records reveal that on November 1, 2019, Newsome used a cellphone to photograph a young child in a state of nudity. He admitted to storing and transporting the images via an online storage account, which was accessible over the internet and involved interstate commerce. He also confessed to storing additional explicit images and videos of minors, including prepubescent children, in the account.
The case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national effort by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston voiced appreciation for the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit's investigative efforts. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the sentencing, while Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald led the prosecution.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood, resources are available on the website of the U.S. Department of Justice.
