June 28, 2007

Leesburg, Va., man indicted on child pornography and weapons charges

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today charging Ralph D. "Donnie" Davis, 44, of Leesburg, Va., with receipt and possession of child pornography and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and William Reid, special agent in charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the announcement.

According to the indictment, between May 2003 and March 2006, Davis knowingly received many computer files containing photo and video depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Davis was also found to possess many computer images of child pornography during an October 16, 2006, search of his residence. According to the indictment and previously filed court documents, many of the children depicted in the images are under 12 years of age. In addition, law enforcement recovered three semi-automatic handguns at Davis' residence, which he was prohibited from possessing due to felony convictions.

Davis has been detained since June 5, 2007. If convicted, Davis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the receipt of child pornography charge. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the possession of child pornography charge, and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the firearms possession charge.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted this investigation with assistance from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerald Smagala and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. McAndrew, who is on detail from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, are prosecuting this case. Criminal indictments are only charges and are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

-- ICE --