Newport News Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was arrested today on charges of production of child pornography.

According to allegations detailed in the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Justin Travis Taylor, 25, began communicating online via Snapchat and Instagram in May 2018 with Jane Doe 1, who informed Taylor that she was 13-years-old and in 8th grade. In February 2019, after months of explicit online communications between Taylor and the minor victim, Jane Doe 1’s mother contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to report the exchanges.

After interviewing the minor victim and reviewing communication devices she allegedly used to communicate with Taylor, law enforcement obtained court authorized search warrants for multiple online accounts registered to Taylor and Jane Doe 1, and discovered numerous communications where Taylor threatened to kill himself if Jane Doe 1 did not send him the sexually explicit images he demanded.

Taylor is charged with production of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

If you have information regarding the pending prosecution, contact the FBI’s Norfolk Division at 757-455-0100, or submit an online tip at: https://tips.fbi.gov/. Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after Taylor was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter G. Osyf and Lisa R. McKeel are prosecuting the case.

The charges in the criminal complaint are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-mj-142.