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Press Release

Galax Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia
Richard Nofsinger Admits to Manufacturing Child Pornography

ABGINGDON, VIRGINIA – A Galax, Virginia man pled guilty today in federal court to a series of child pornography charges that will lead to him serving at least 15 years in federal prison, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.

Richard Denny Nofsinger Jr., 37, of Galax, Virginia, pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon to three counts of manufacturing child pornography. At sentencing, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum statutory sentence of up to 90 years.

“When individuals like Mr. Nofsinger exploit our most vulnerable citizens, our children, it is the job of law enforcement to hold them accountable for their actions,” U.S. Attorney Fishwick said today. “The actions this defendant took were perverse and obscene and his punishment will be severe but just. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute those who exploit children to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing by United States Attorney Fishwick, Nofsinger was arrested on May 17, 2016 on a state arrest warrant in City of Galax and was in possession of a cellular phone. A search warrant was executed on the cell phone and eight videos containing sexually explicit images of children were recovered.

The videos depict Nofsinger, as well as at least two separate child victims, acting in a sexually explicit manner. Police have been able to identify the victims through witness interviews and identifying other objects, such as furniture, seen in the videos. Police have also recovered the T-shirt, and sunglasses Nofsinger wore in some of the videos.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the City of Galax Police Department and the United States Secret Service.  United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer R. Bockhorst prosecuted the case for the United States.

 

Updated September 7, 2016

Topic
Project Safe Childhood