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Isle of Wight man pleads guilty to all child pornography charges, will serve 55 years behind bars

Posted at 5:13 PM, Dec 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-13 17:13:40-05

ISLE OF WIGHT Co., Va. – The local man arrested for child pornography in April pleaded guilty to all charges Wednesday.

Thomas Sadler

In April, Thomas Sadler was arrested on numerous charges related to the distribution and production of child pornography.

Sadler’s convictions 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 as well as his active role in their production.

The month-long investigation began after investigators with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Southern Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

A search warrant was executed on April 5 at a home in the 14000 block of Courthouse Highway. During the execution, numerous electronic devices were removed from the home.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said the amount of child pornography discovered on Sadler’s computer devices was not only the largest store in the county’s history; it was one of the largest cases in the region.

“The partnership that the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office has with these organizations, especially Bedford County’s Southern Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force 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,” said Lt. Tommy Potter of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.

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