Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Crime

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography crime.

According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Nicholas Wilds, 38, admitted that he distributed child pornography using Kik, an online messaging application. Wilds also admitted that he used the messaging app to encourage another user to take sexually explicit photographs of a child. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Wilds’ residence and found over 300 images of child pornography.

Wilds pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.  

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie White is prosecuting the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-00005.

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