David Leroy Knellinger Sr, 60, pleaded guilty before the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He admitted to using iMesh p2p software to obtain three videos depicting child pornography. US District Judge Robert Payne sentenced Knellinger to 87 months in prison, to pay a $15,000 fine and to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. The investigation of Knellinger was conducted by the FBI and arose from an investigation conducted by the US Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Brian Hood for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Alexandra Gelber for the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division.
In a related incident, the child victim in one video has been identified by law enforcement officers and her alleged abuser, Kenneth Freeman, was a fugitive on the 15 Most Wanted list of the US Marshal"s Service. Freeman was arrested in Hong Kong in May and is currently contesting extradition proceedings.