HUNTINGTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Craig Alexander Halstead, 36, of Huntington, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography. Halstead must also pay $15,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Halstead admitted to receiving 87,993 digital media files of child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing programs from about August 2, 2019, until about August 18, 2022. Many of the digital media files depict prepubescent minors, including infants and toddlers, subjected to sexually explicit conduct including sadistic conduct. Halstead admitted that one of the digital media files is a video of an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.
On May 20, 2021, Halstead possessed 3,970 images and 443 videos on his laptop and external hard drive depicting minor children subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Halstead admitted that many of the images and videos depict prepubescent minors and that several of the images and videos depict known child victims.
On or about August 30, 2022, Halstead possessed 3,188 images and videos of child pornography in Huntington. Over 400 of those images and videos depict known child victims. Halstead admitted that the images included infants subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct. Halstead further admitted to accessing and receiving digital media files of child pornography using peer-to-peer programs on November 29, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.