Winston-Salem man sentenced to more than 7 years for distribution of child pornography

GREENSBORO – A Winston-Salem man, KIERRE ANTHONY CUTLER, 19, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).

According to court records, in October 2022, the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) executed a search warrant on CUTLER’s personal devices where they discovered more than 700 images of child pornography. In April 2023, acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, WSPD executed a search warrant on a Discord account associated with CUTLER and found it had been used to upload and distribute an image depicting sexual exploitation of an infant under one year of age.

United States District Court Judge Loretta C. Biggs sentenced CUTLER to an 87-month term of imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. In addition, CUTLER was ordered to pay restitution to victims totaling $13,000.00 and special assessments totaling $1,100.00. He pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography on October 5, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K. P. Kennedy Gates.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

A copy of this press release will be posted on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 1:23CR261-1.