A 21-year-old Raleigh County pedophile who collected hundreds of images of child pornography has been sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Steven Russell Helton, of Beaver, Raleigh County, W.Va., previously pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in January. His sentencing was handed down today by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger in Beckley.
On December 29, 2010, Helton possessed on his computer more than 600 pictures and videos of children having sex or performing sexual acts. In a disturbing trend, Helton is the third defendant to be sentenced on child pornography charges this week in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Tracey E. Cooper, 38, of Giles, Kanawha County, W.Va., was sentenced on Tuesday to three years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for possessing more than 600 images of child pornography and trading the images with other pedophiles over the Internet.
Also, 54-year-old Charleston pedophile Jonathan Douglas Layne was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison on child pornography charges. Layne similarly collected more than 600 pictures and videos of children having sex or performing sexual acts.
Since January 2012, twenty-two defendants have been convicted as part of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia. Twenty-one defendants have been sentenced to a total of more than 95 years (1153 months, to be exact) in federal prison.
The West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation West Virginia Cyber Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution.
Child pornography is a heinous crime that can have long-lasting effects on its victims. It is a disturbing trend to see multiple defendants being sentenced for these charges in a short period of time. As a community, we must continue to work together to prevent and prosecute these crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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