A 30-year-old Jacksonville man was sentenced to 292 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for producing child pornography in North Carolina.
William Austin Strawn pleaded guilty to the charge on January 3, 2023.
According to court documents, in November 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) infiltrated a Kik chat group dedicated to sharing and discussing original videos of child pornography.
A member of the group with the username ‘Craig Shellston’ began communicating with an undercover FBI agent about the sexual abuse of a child with whom he had contact.
‘Craig Shellston’ sent multiple videos that depicted him sexually abusing a child.
Emergency court orders were issued to find the lessee of the IP address used by ‘Craig Shellston,’ since the FBI believed a child was in immediate danger.
The IP address belonged to a residence in Jacksonville where Strawn lived.
A search warrant was executed at the residence and Strawn was arrested.
Strawn gave a statement to law enforcement wherein he admitted to being a part of the Kik chat group and admitted to receiving child pornography depicting children between the ages of 5 and 10.
He admitted to committing sexual acts with the child with whom he had access.
During jail telephone conversations, he admitted to others to producing child pornography.
‘Strawn’s crimes are heinous, and the long-term impact on his victim is immeasurable,’ said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.
The Jacksonville Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Jordan Lee Adams, Child Pornography Production, North Carolina · Virginia
- Jonathan Wheeler Johnston, Receipt and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, North Carolina 2023 · Michigan
- Roland Vance Watson, Child Pornography Production and Sex Abuse, North Carolina 2023 · Arkansas
- Roland Vance Watson, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2024 · Alaska
- Matterson Xavier Rusyn, Child Pornography Hoard, North Carolina 2023 · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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