Robert Upchurch, a 52-year-old resident of Charlotte, has been sentenced to 54 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentence also includes a lifetime of supervised release and a $17,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. This announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) were involved in the investigation. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Charlotte Division, and CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings joined U.S. Attorney King in announcing the sentencing.
Court documents reveal that in July 2022, a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led law enforcement to identify Upchurch as a Dropbox account user who had uploaded numerous images containing suspected CSAM. A search warrant executed at Upchurch’s residence on December 8, 2022, resulted in the seizure of his cell phone, computers, and other electronic devices. Forensic analysis uncovered over 5,800 images and 2,500 videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Initially denying possession during an interview with law enforcement, Upchurch later admitted to viewing child pornography. He pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024, to charges related to possession and accessing child pornography involving minors under the age of 12.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. This initiative was launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration between federal, state, and local resources.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood efforts to address online child exploitation crimes or support victim identification and rescue operations nationwide visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.