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Kanawha County Man Sentenced on Federal Child Porn Charges

By: WSAZ News Staff Email
Posted: Tue 10:16 PM, May 14, 2013

UPDATE 5/14/13 @ 10:15 p.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A Kanawha County man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison on federal child pornography charges, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin's Office.

Tracey E. Cooper, 38, also was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release following his time in prison.

U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. handed down the sentence.

According to the news release, Cooper collected more than 600 pictures and videos of children having sex or performing sexual acts.

The child pornography was found on Cooper’s computer after he downloaded it from the Internet. Cooper used the peer-to-peer file sharing programs Shareaza and Aires to download, receive and share child pornography.

Cooper possessed more than 600 images of child pornography and traded the images with other pedophiles over the Internet.

“This kind of crime is downright sickening,” Goodwin said in the prepared release. “Behind every piece of child pornography traded over the Internet, there is a child somewhere who has been exploited in the most heinous way imaginable. People who download and share these pictures encourage that exploitation. My office will continue to be relentless in prosecuting these cases.”

Cooper entered into a stipulation agreeing to pay $10,000 in restitution to a known victim in the case.



ORIGINAL STORY 1/9/13
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A Kanawha County man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing child pornography, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Tracey E. Cooper, 38, of Dawes, W.Va., admitted that on Dec. 21, 2011, he knowingly possessed on his computer more than 600 images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Cooper admitted that he knew the images and videos constituted child pornography. He also admitted that many of the images depicted prepubescent minors. Cooper further admitted that at least one of the images portrays a prepubescent minor depicted in sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

Cooper further admitted that he used the peer-to-peer file sharing programs, Shareaza and Aires, to download, receive and share child pornography.

Cooper faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced March 28 by U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.


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