A former Virginia Tech communications professor, Michael Horning, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. The 51-year-old from Christiansburg, Virginia, admitted guilt in September 2024 to charges related to possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Court documents revealed that Horning used peer-to-peer filesharing software, including Freenet, to download child pornography between 2009 and 2021. Authorities seized his electronic devices in December 2021, discovering 663 images and fourteen videos depicting child pornography. Among the material were images and videos involving infants or toddlers and content depicting sadomasochism.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, announced the sentencing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff prosecuting.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program coordinates resources from federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders exploiting children online while also working to identify and rescue victims.