Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

STAFF REPORT

ISLE OF WIGHT

A Smithfield man has pleaded guilty to many charges relating to the making and distribution of child pornography. This was done on Wednesday in Isle of Wight County Circuit Court, according to Lt. Tommy Potter, spokesman for the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.

Thomas Glen Sadler of the 1400 block of Courthouse Highway had been arrested on April 9 after an investigation that included participation with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Southern Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Potter said then the partnership with those organizations is “an invaluable tool that provides resources and guidance when investigating these complex cases and allows investigators to present a solid case to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for Prosecution.”

He added that the convictions for possession, distribution and production of child pornography and a charge of molestation of a child yielded a sentence of 210 years total with 55 years of active incarceration. The sentence reflected the number of images of child pornography that Sadler possessed and his active role in the production of child pornography.

According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, the amount of child pornography discovered on Sadler’s computer devices was not only the largest store in the county’s history, it was also one of the largest cases in the region.