Ashburn Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Receipt

Roger Wheaten Webb, 53, of Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, capping a years-long federal investigation into his use of peer-to-peer networks to access and store thousands of illicit images and videos.

The crime came to light in early 2015 when the FBI traced an Internet Protocol (IP) address in Fairfax to repeated downloads of child pornography. That digital trail led agents to a local business where Webb was employed. In March of that year, federal agents executed a search warrant, seizing multiple electronic devices—including a Dell computer and a flash drive—later found to contain over 5,000 image files and 300 video files of child sexual abuse material.

Forensic analysis confirmed the Dell computer had been used to download the material using peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Webb admitted during an interview with law enforcement that he used the company’s computer to access, receive, and download the illicit content. He further acknowledged transferring and storing the material on an external flash drive in his possession.

The guilty plea was entered in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea, which stems from conduct occurring between February and March 2015. No attempt was made to conceal the activity from the business network, exposing the workplace to the disturbing presence of criminal exploitation.

Webb now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with a maximum penalty of 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled for April 21. While Congress sets the statutory maximums, the actual sentence will be determined by the court, guided by the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Leslie Williams Fisher from the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, announced the guilty plea. Court records are available under Case No. 1:16-cr-298 via PACER or the Eastern District’s public docket.

RELATED: Moore Resident Pleads Guilty in Methamphetamine Distribution Plot

RELATED: Ashburn Man Nabbed in $120K Tax Fraud Scheme