Todd Christopher Roatsey, Child Exploitation, West Virginia 2023

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Kanawha County elementary school counselor was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted production of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor.

Todd Christopher Roatsey, 41, used the Snapchat instant messaging application to target multiple minor females. Roatsey knew several of the minor females through his position as a counselor at Pinch Elementary School. Roatsey also obstructed justice by deleting the Snapchat account he used to engage in these activities, after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at his residence and seized numerous electronic devices found to contain child pornography.

The case was investigated by U.S. HSI, and the sentence was imposed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Roitsey was sentenced on February 2, 2023 to 25 years in prison. The case was led by U.S. Attorney Will Thompson, who also presented the 2023 Law Enforcement Awards in conjunction with National Police Week.

The awards recognize both invaluable assistance within specific categories of cases and office initiatives as well as overall exemplary service over the past year. Thompson said, 'These are the men and women who keep our communities safe. They represent the ideals of law enforcement.'

Roatsey's sentence is a reminder of the importance of protecting our children from exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorney Thompson's office will continue to work tirelessly to bring perpetrators of child exploitation to justice.

The case was investigated by Special Agent Terrance Taylor, HSI; Computer Forensic Analyst Leland 'Fred' Pickering, HSI; Forensic Interview Specialist Candice Cooper, HSI; Criminal Analyst Chris Powell, HSI; and Trooper First Class Michelle R. Shaffer, West Virginia State Police.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/us-attorney-will-thompson-presents-2023-law-enforcement-awards