Mingo County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Terry Randall Hinkle, 55, of Delbarton, pleaded guilty today to receiving child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2023, Hinkle received multiple images depicting child pornography via Facebook from another user. Hinkle admitted that the child pornography he received on Facebook included images depicting nude prepubescent females with their legs spread to display their genitals. Hinkle further admitted that he possessed approximately 24 videos and 46 images depicting child pornography. Hinkle also admitted that he sent an image depicting a nude minor female with her legs spread to expose her genitals via Facebook to another user on September 25, 2023.

Hinkle solicited another individual online to produce and send him images of child pornography depicting minors in that individual's custody. However, the other individual never sent the requested photos.

Hinkle is scheduled to be sentenced on February 12, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Hinkle must also register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-110.

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