William Jeffery of Raleigh Indicted on Child Pornography Charge

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Raleigh man with possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment, William Jeffery, 59, was found on June 16, 2020, to be in possession of digital media containing images involving minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  The indictment further notes that Jeffery has a prior federal conviction for interstate travel for purpose of engaging in a sexual act with a juvenile and a prior North Carolina state conviction for indecent liberties with a child.

If convicted, Jeffery would face a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years per count.  He also would face up to a lifetime of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department are investigating the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.