ORANGE, Texas — A man from Orange will spend the next 20 years in federal prison for child pornography violations.
Joshua Welch, 50, pleaded guilty on Sep. 20, 2021, to the production of child pornography. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 2, 2021.
Welch was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison Thursday, March 24, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
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Federal agents in Beaumont were notified by federal agents in Syracuse, NY, about an internet user who uploaded images containing child pornography and sent them to another user, according to court documents.
During the investigation, law enforcement officials learned the initial sender of the illicit material was in Orange.
Federal agents issued a search warrant at a residence on East Ashford Park in Orange on May 17, 2021. That’s where they found Welch.
He admitted to producing the child pornography images and downloading them, according to a news release. He also admitted to visiting other internet websites to view images of child pornography.
“No stone will be left unturned to stop child predators,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “Our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting our most precious population. Thank you to those men and women who work tirelessly to make our community playgrounds and our virtual playgrounds a safe place for all children.”
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