Robert M. Harvey, a registered sex offender, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in Charleston, West Virginia. The 48-year-old was found with a cell phone containing illicit images and videos on June 29, 2022, at Dismas Charities Inc., a residential reentry facility in St. Albans.
Harvey was prohibited from having a cell phone without approval from his probation officer. Upon investigation by law enforcement, the device revealed content depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Harvey admitted to these charges as part of his guilty plea.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 25, 2025. Harvey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and could receive up to twenty years in prison. Additionally, he may face at least five years to life under supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Previously convicted for receipt of child pornography on March 12, 2007, Harvey had been sentenced to over seventeen years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release. He was also sentenced to three more years on August 17, 2022, for committing another crime while under supervision.
The announcement came from Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston who praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) efforts in the case. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuting.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood led by the Department of Justice aiming to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources.
Further details about this case can be accessed via PACER using Case No. 2:25-cr-69 or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.
