WNC man, a registered sex offender, sentenced to 24.5 years for child pornography
A Burnsville registered sex offender has been sentenced to more than 24 years in prison on child pornography charges.
John Webb Powell, 51, was sentenced to 294 months in prison, and U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ensured that Powell will spend his lifetime under court supervision, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Powell was already on supervised release for a federal offense of possession of child pornography when he committed the most recent offense.
“Powell will spend the next two decades where he belongs: behind bars,” Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, said in the news release. “Recidivist sex offenders who prey on vulnerable children pose a serious danger to the community and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Powell, texting with a minor in February 2020, solicited and received from the girl, images depicting her engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to information contained in court documents. Powell also repeatedly sexually assaulted the minor.
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A forensic analysis of his cell phone also showed that Powell had conducted internet searches for images containing child pornography. On Oct. 18, 2021, Powell pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
“As a result of the collaborative work of (Homeland Security Investigations) and its law enforcement partners, Powell’s days of victimizing children have come to an end,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in North Carolina and South Carolina. “As a repeat offender, today’s significance sentence will ensure Powell will no longer pose a threat to children and communities in the region.”
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: WNC registered sex offender sentenced to 24 years for child porn
