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December 20, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Martinsville Man sentenced on
Child Pornography, Witness Tampering Charges

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA — A 33-year old New Martinsville, West Virginia, resident was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison on child pornography and witness tampering charges in United States District Court in Wheeling.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that BRIAN C. JENKINS was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment by Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. JENKINS previously entered pleas of guilty in October to“Production of Child Pornography” and to “Tampering with a Witness” by using intimidation, threats and persuasion to influence the testimony of an individual in an official proceeding.

JENKINS was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Perri and was investigated by the New Martinsville Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.