A man from Peyton, Colorado, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. Justin Welsh, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, Welsh will serve a 20-year term of supervised release and must pay a $10,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
Law enforcement began investigating Welsh after an internet service provider filed a Cyber Tipline Report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in July 2024. The investigation found that Welsh had created sexually explicit images and videos involving a three-year-old victim and shared this content with another person. The plea agreement also states that he recorded sexual contact with a second minor and distributed those materials as well.
“This defendant committed horrific crimes against young people in his care. This sentence puts him exactly where he belongs for the next several decades,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly.
United States District Judge Daniel D. Domenico oversaw the sentencing hearing.
The case was investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit along with Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Alecia L. Riewerts and Dustin André-Vandenberg prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation online by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to identify offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
