ELKINS (KFSM) — An Elkins man has pleaded guilty to possessing pornographic videos involving girls as young as 9 years old, according to federal court documents.
George Hagadone, 52, was arraigned March 31 in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville, where he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In June 2016, agents with Homeland Security Investigations discovered a computer uploading child pornography to a peer-to-peer file sharing network, according to court documents. HSI is a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that investigates national security issues, including cybercrime.
The agents traced the computer’s IP address to Hagadone’s home on Sulphur City Road in Elkins. Agents found the computer had uploaded more than 7,000 files of obscene material between November 2015 and January 2017.
Hagadone admitted in January to downloading child pornography, telling investigators he’d done it the night before being served with a search warrant, according to court documents.
A sentencing hearing for Hagadone will be scheduled in the next few months, according to the U.S attorney’s office. Hagadone faces up to 20 years in prison under federal law.
Hagadone was being held Thursday (April 13) at the Benton County Jail with no bond set.