ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man pleaded guilty to child pornography charges Thursday after officers seized thousands of photos and videos.
Richard B. Morgan, 67, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
In June 2015, an investigator with the Southern Virginia ICAC identified the IP address attached to the home address of the defendant as one associated with an IP address downloading files containing child pornography. Investigators successfully downloaded images of child pornography from the defendant via peer-to-peer, file-sharing software often used by those who trade in child pornography.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Morgan's home address. During the search, Morgan told officers, “I know why you are here," according to the Justice Department. He admitted to officers that he downloaded child pornography and was the only person with access to the computer in his apartment.
Morgan’s computer and an external hard drive were seized and forensically examined, revealing 1,849 images and 4,406 videos containing child pornography.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 16 at 9:30 a.m.