Greenbrier County man sentenced for child pornography crimes
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Jason Shortridge, 40, Ronceverte, was sentenced for possession and attempted distribution of child pornography to 14 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and he must register as a sex offender and pay restitution.
According to U.S. Department of Justice, a federal jury found Shortridge guilty of both counts on June 10, 2022, following a four-day trial.
Court documents and evidence presented at trial show that on May 1, 2019, Shortridge downloaded child pornography and made it available for sharing online using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant at Shortridge’s residence and seized a computer belonging to Shortridge.
A forensic examination of the computer located hundreds of images of child pornography, primarily from the deleted space of the computer. Two computer forensic experts testified that during their examination of Shortridge’s computer, they recovered child pornography as well as search terms used to actively search for child pornography. Evidence showed that Shortridge possessed over 600 computer graphic image files containing images and videos of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
“This defendant caused substantial harm, as possessing child pornography encourages and records the sexual exploitation and rape of children,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of that harm.”
Copyright 2023 WVVA. All rights reserved.
