PRINCETON, WV (LOOTPRESS)— Princeton police are seeking arrest warrants for a man after investigators reported finding more than 300 suspected child sexual abuse images on his cellphone, according to a police report.
The investigation began around 1:40 a.m. on October 3, 2026, when Mercer County 911 contacted the Princeton Police Department about a woman who reported discovering the images on a phone belonging to her former boyfriend, William Ray Heath Jr.
The woman told police she had driven Heath home the previous evening and later noticed he had left his cellphone in her passenger seat. According to the report, she searched the phone because she suspected he had been unfaithful during their relationship.
During that search, she reported finding hundreds of suspected child sexual abuse images in the phone’s Google Photos application, along with open internet browser tabs containing similar material. She turned the phone and its passcode over to police.
Investigators obtained a search warrant on October 3 and began examining the device that morning.
According to the report, an officer found 409 images in the application’s downloaded photos section. The officer described approximately 270 as apparently depicting real children and reported finding additional suspected abuse material, including images believed to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
Police also reported finding browser tabs and an extensive search history involving suspected sexual content depicting minors. Investigators said the relevant browsing history extended from July 6 through October 2, 2026, while images on the device were dated between June 24 and October 2.
The report states that the phone would be sent to the Marshall University Forensic Crime Laboratory for further examination.
Based on the findings, the investigating officer said he would request arrest warrants for Heath alleging possession of more than 300 images of child pornography.
He is currently in Southern Regional Jail.
