NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Xavier Joseph Stafford, 22, of Williamsburg, has admitted to a sickening act of malice, pleading guilty today to distributing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The charge stems from a deliberate and disturbing threat directed at a law enforcement officer.
The case unfolded after Stafford had a minor encounter with a police officer on February 14th and 15th. The officer requested Stafford move his vehicle from private property in Williamsburg. Instead of complying, Stafford escalated the situation with a chilling email sent on February 18th. The email wasn’t just a complaint; it contained a direct threat to rape the officer’s daughter, accompanied by two animated images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
But the depravity didn’t stop there. Stafford also included a live photo in the email, repeatedly looping several frames of consecutive images of the officer’s home – a clear attempt at intimidation and harassment. The email was a calculated attack, designed to inflict maximum emotional distress and terrorize the officer and his family.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik S. Siebert, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans announced the guilty plea following the acceptance by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask. Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O’Brien is prosecuting the case, ensuring Stafford is held accountable for his heinous actions.
Stafford is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4th. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, with a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years. While federal sentencing guidelines allow for discretion, the gravity of the crimes suggests a substantial penalty is likely. Actual sentences typically fall below the maximum, but this case warrants serious consideration.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on children online and to rescue victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc. Court documents related to the case, 4:25-cr-40, are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia and on PACER.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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