Wheeling man admits to child pornography charge

 WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeremy Crinkey, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to having child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Crinkey, 43, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Child Pornography – Previous Conviction.” Crinkey, having previously been convicted of possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in 2012, admitted to having images of child pornography in his possession in March 2020 in Ohio County. 

Crinkey faces at least 10 and up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Probation Office and the FBI investigated.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.