Morgantown Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Mansfield Davis, 69, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty today to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was living in South Charleston when he failed to register as a sex offender as required following his conviction for possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on May 20, 2024.

On September 5, 2024, Davis was sentenced in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia to six years and 10 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Davis failed to self-report to prison on October 4, 2024, as required. Law enforcement officers arrested Davis in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2024. On August 20, 2025, Davis was sentenced to one year in prison for failing to surrender for a federal sentence, with the sentence to run consecutive to the sentence for possession of child pornography.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026, for the current offense and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

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. 2:24-cr-189.

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