Cameron Drake Newsome, a 25-year-old resident of Williamson, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 25 years of supervised release for producing child pornography. Newsome is required to pay $7,000 in restitution and is mandated to register as a sex offender.
Court documents reveal that on or about November 1, 2019, Newsome used a cell phone to capture two photographs of an approximately 3-year-old child in Williamson. The images, which made the child's genitals their focal point, were stored in an online file storage account. This storage and transport of images involved interstate commerce via the internet. Newsome also conceded to keeping numerous explicit images and videos of minors in his accounts.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston acknowledged the work of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit in this case. The sentence was given by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald.
This case forms part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice addressing child sexual exploitation. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources for apprehending and prosecuting individuals who exploit children sexually, as well as identifying and rescuing victims. More details on Project Safe Childhood can be accessed at www.justice.gov/psc.
For further information, the press release is available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia, and related documents can be found through PACER under Case No. 2:24-cr-111.