Morgan County man indicted for failing to update sex offender registry

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Justin David Peters, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on a failure to register charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Peters, age 26, was indicted on one count of “Failure to Register.” Peters, having previously been convicted of possession of child pornography in Berkeley County Circuit Court, is accused of traveling to Florida without updating his sex offender registration as required by law. The crime allegedly occurred from June to September 2018.

Peters faces up to 10 years 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.

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/.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Finucane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service investigated.