A former Henderson, Nevada resident is headed for a federal prison cell after admitting he distributed child pornography through Twitter, directly exposing his followers to vile, sexually explicit images of children. Mark Alan Stoneking, 40, now of Elyria, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography, marking the end of a federal investigation that uncovered a digital trail of depravity.
Stoneking’s guilty plea, entered before U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II, stems from two specific dates—December 20, 2014, and January 6, 2015—when he used his Twitter account to share illegal content with his followers. The tweets, now deleted but preserved as evidence, served as digital breadcrumbs leading investigators to his doorstep. The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez, underscores how social media platforms are being exploited by predators to spread child sexual abuse material.
On January 12, 2016, law enforcement struck. Agents from the Henderson Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant at Stoneking’s former residence. What they found was horrifying: electronic devices crammed with more than 600 videos and over 200,000 images of child pornography. The sheer volume of material revealed an entrenched pattern of consumption and distribution, feeding an underground network of abuse.
Prosecutors emphasized the severity of the crime, noting the mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine. Beyond incarceration, Stoneking will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act—a lifetime consequence that follows him into his Ohio community.
The FBI and Henderson Police Department led the investigation, peeling back layers of digital anonymity to hold Stoneking accountable. His case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat the rising tide of online child exploitation. The program leverages federal, state, and local resources to dismantle networks, rescue victims, and bring offenders to justice.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 31, 2018. As social media continues to evolve, so do the methods predators use to exploit the vulnerable. Stoneking’s conviction sends a clear message: federal authorities are watching, and those who traffic in child pornography will face relentless pursuit and severe punishment.
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Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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