A Louisa County man was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison for possessing images of the sexual abuse of children.
Ian Andrew Zearley, 40, pleaded guilty to the charge in July. According to court documents, Zearley committed the offense while on supervised release for a previous conviction for possession of child exploitation materials.
Following his prior conviction, law enforcement was monitoring Zearley’s computer usage pursuant to the terms of his supervised release. During the monitoring, it was discovered that Zearley searched terms consistent with child sexual abuse, including “real hardcore child porn,” and “boys severely whipped and bleeding.”
Zearley also authored two stories that described, in graphic detail, the rape and abuse of young boys.
When law enforcement thereafter searched Zearley’s house, they found, in his basement, business cards stating Zearley was the president of the “Pedophile Associates of America,” electric shock equipment, pepper spray, a ski mask, and pellet gun.
Officers also found a list of children’s names, their ages, and how Zearley knew each child. Children’s items, such as diapers, bottles, and toys were also found, and Zearley’s computer contained eight computer-generated images of child sex abuse.
“One of the cornerstone missions of this United States Attorney’s Office is providing a safe haven for our children. Part of that mission is the prosecution of those who repeatedly show themselves to be a danger to children in our community,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said. “Mr. Zearley was on supervised release when he not only possessed images of the sexual abuse of children, but horrific tools that showed he was on the precipice of effectuating his violent fantasies towards children. I am grateful to the FBI, U.S. Probation Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service for bringing this defendant to justice before he could commit additional harm to our community.”
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