Mercer County Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing Child Pornography

Bluefield, W.Va. - A 19-year-old Mercer County man faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty today to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.   Joshua Dwayne Poff, of Bluefield, West Virginia, entered a guilty plea before Senior United States District Court Judge David A. Faber.

Poff admitted that on January 10, 2014, he possessed pictures of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts.  The images were located on his personal computer at his home.  Poff also admitted to trading video files containing child pornography via the Internet to another person who had a Google email account.  U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “We are committed to the fight against criminals like Joshua Dwayne Poff who contribute to the exploitation and abuse of children.  We will use every available tool to track them down and prosecute them to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

The court scheduled sentencing for Poff for 11:30 a.m. on March 15, 2015, in Bluefield, West Virginia.

The West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.