Parkersburg man pleads guilty to child sexual abuse material

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty to distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.

Robert Anthony Thomas, 46, pleaded guilty to the child sexual abuse material charges on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Thomas made over 105,000 digital media files of child sexual abuse material available to others using a file-sharing program, according to court documents and statements made in court.

On August 23, 2022, Thomas possessed more than 100 images and 14 videos on his laptop and external hard drive depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Thomas admitted that many of these images and videos depict prepubescent minors, including infants and toddlers, according to the United States Department of Justice.

The United States Department of Justice says Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Thomas must also register as a sex offender.