Ampless Ray Lilly, a 52-year-old resident of Huntington, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. According to court records and statements, between February 20, 2023, and April 23, 2024, Lilly received around 2,900 images and 1,100 videos containing child pornography on his mobile phone while accessing the internet from his home. Lilly admitted that these materials depicted prepubescent minors in sexually explicit conduct and included violent imagery. He also confessed to distributing such content online.
Lilly's sentencing is set for June 5, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to twenty years in prison. Additionally, he could be subject to at least five years of supervised release or potentially a lifetime under supervision and may face a $250,000 fine.
Previously registered as a sex offender due to a first-degree sexual assault conviction in Lincoln County Circuit Court on January 22, 1993, Lilly began serving probation for another offense during the period when the current crime occurred. This probation was related to his guilty plea for being a felon in possession of a firearm in August 2023. A petition to revoke this probation is currently pending.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston praised the investigative efforts of the West Virginia State Police regarding this case. The hearing was presided over by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers with Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price handling prosecution duties.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aiming to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources. More information about this initiative can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents are accessible via PACER by searching Case No. 3:25-cr-15.