Cameron Drake Newsome, a 25-year-old resident of Williamson, has entered a guilty plea to the charge of producing child pornography. This development was confirmed in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents reveal that on November 1, 2019, Newsome used his cell phone to capture two photographs of an approximately three-year-old child in Williamson. The images focused on the child's genitals while the child was naked from the waist down. Newsome admitted not only to taking these photographs but also to storing them in an online file storage account. By doing so, he transported the images via the internet, impacting interstate commerce. Furthermore, Newsome acknowledged storing additional images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct within his online accounts.
Sentencing for Newsome is set for April 24, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could receive up to 30 years in prison. Additionally, he will face at least five years and possibly a lifetime of supervised release along with a $250,000 fine. Registration as a sex offender is also required.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the plea and praised the investigative efforts of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit.
The hearing was presided over by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuting.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project involves federal, state, and local resources to apprehend those exploiting children while identifying and rescuing victims.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood or related court documents regarding this case (Case No. 2:24-cr-111), individuals can visit www.justice.gov/psc or consult PACER for more information.