William Combs, Child Pornography, Virginia 2024

Charlottesville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography

A Charlottesville, Virginia man, who believed he was communicating online with the father of a 12-year-old boy and arranged to meet the purported 12-year-old boy to have sex with and in front of the child, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.

William Combs, 54, pled guilty in January 2024 to a one-count Information charging him with possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, in July 2023, Combs engaged in an online chat with who Combs believed to be the father of a 12-year-old boy. During these discussions, Combs attempted to arrange a meeting with the 12-year-old for the purpose of having sex with the minor. Shortly before the time of the scheduled meeting, Combs cut off all communication with the alleged father.

Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement obtained the physical address associated with the IP address linked to the user identified as Combs.

On August 10, 2023, officers conducted a search of Combs’ residence and recovered several electronic devices. Following a forensic review, agents identified more than 25,000 files depicting minor children and suspected minor children engaged in sex acts. These files included prepubescent children and children who had not yet obtained the age of 12 years old.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims.

Combs’ sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck, and Col. Sean Reeves, Chief of Albemarle County Police Department.

Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/Respondent: William Combs
Criminal Charges: Possession of child pornography
City and State: Charlottesville, Virginia
Exact Date: July 2023 (crime), January 2024 (sentencing), August 10, 2023 (search warrant)
Sentence or Outcome: 10 years in federal prison
Dollar Amounts: None

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