A Weyers Cave found to be in possession of child pornography was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison.
John Taylor Whittington, 69, pleaded guilty in September to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
In late 2020, FBI executed a search warrant at Whittington’s home and seized multiple electronic devices, including multiple laptops, seven thumb drives, and hundreds of portable storage devices.
A forensic examination of the electronic devices seized from Whittington’s home revealed approximately 4,700 images depicting minor-aged children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Whittington admitted that he was attracted to minor-aged females and possessed images of what he knew to be child pornography.
“When child pornography images are downloaded, shared, or otherwise viewed, it perpetuates the victimization of innocent children,” U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said. “These cases are a top priority for our office, and we are grateful for the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners in helping to bring yet another predator to justice.”
“Through this investigation, the FBI and our partners were able to remove an individual from society who had a careless, disregard for the welfare of these young victims,” said Stanley Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “We are committed to identifying these criminals and holding them accountable; but more importantly we are committed to identifying the young children victimized by these criminals and providing resources to assist them as they heal and grow into adulthood. If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of child pornography – or you suspect a crime is occurring – please report it to authorities immediately.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, the Augusta County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, and the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Chris Graham
