Troy George Skinner, Production of Child Pornography, Virginia 2018

RICHMOND, Va. – In a shocking case, a New Zealand man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for producing child pornography.

The defendant, Troy George Skinner, 28, interacted with a minor child online and used the child to produce numerous videos and image files of child pornography between February and March 2018.

Skinner, who departed from Auckland, New Zealand on June 20, 2018, traveled to the victim’s home in Goochland, Virginia. Upon arriving at the victim’s home, Skinner attempted to speak to family members inside and threw a paving stone through the glass window of the kitchen door to the house. He was apprehended by members of the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office after several verbal warnings and a warning shot fired by the victim’s mother.

A search at the scene of Skinner’s belongings revealed duct tape, pepper spray, and a folding pocketknife. Two mobile phones seized from Skinner contained images of child pornography depicting the minor victim. U.S. authorities also made a mutual legal assistance request to officials with the government of New Zealand, which led to the execution of a search warrant on Skinner’s apartment in New Zealand and the provision of a thumb drive containing 120 video and 56 image files depicting the minor victim.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lee Martin prosecuted the case. The Goochland County Sheriff’s Office and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this case.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, and the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, Stanley M. Meador, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

In related news, court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-19.

The case highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating child exploitation. The U.S. government will continue to work with its international partners to bring perpetrators of child exploitation to justice.

Mandatory facts: Defendant’s real name: Troy George Skinner, Exact criminal charges: Production of child pornography, City and state: Richmond, Virginia, Exact date: 2018, Sentence or outcome: 21 years in prison, Dollar amounts: None.

Related Federal Cases