A Charlottesville man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. William Combs, aged 54, pleaded guilty in January 2024 to a charge of possession of child pornography.
Court documents reveal that in July 2023, Combs engaged in online communication with someone he believed was the father of a 12-year-old boy. During these conversations, Combs attempted to arrange a meeting with the minor for sexual purposes. However, before the scheduled meeting took place, Combs ceased all contact with the alleged father.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and traced the IP address used by Combs to his residence. On August 10, 2023, officers conducted a search at Combs' home and found several electronic devices. A forensic review uncovered over 25,000 files depicting minors involved in sexual acts, including prepubescent children and those under the age of 12.
The investigation was carried out by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the Albemarle County Police Department. The announcement was made 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.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse. The program involves collaboration between federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals exploiting children and rescue victims. Further details about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.