Monongalia County man indicted on child pornography charge

 CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Thomas John Winston, of Westover, West Virginia, is facing a child pornography charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Winston, 30, was indicted on one count of “Possession of Child Pornography – Previous Conviction.” Winston, who was previously convicted of child pornography possession, is accused of having child pornography in his possession in August 2019 in Preston County.

Winston faces  at least 10 years 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 FBI and the West Virginia State Police 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/.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty