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July 30, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fairmont Resident Enters Plea to
Child Pornography Charge

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - A 67-year old Fairmont, West Virginia, resident entered a plea of guilty on July 30, 2012, in United States District Court in Clarksburg before Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that: CLYDE BATES entered a plea of guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography on August 27, 2010, in Fairmont. As part of his plea, BATES agrees to forfeit One Apple MacBook notebook computer with Toshiba 80 GB 2.5" hard drive; and, any item(s) constituting or containing child erotica - to include printed-out stories describing sexual encounters involving children,
used or intended to be used to commit or to promote the commission of such offense.

BATES, who is on release under home confinement pending sentencing, faces a maximum exposure of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn A. Morgan and investigated by the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit and the Fairmont Police Department.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.