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Boulder man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

The Department of Justice said the images and videos were found after Wesley David Gilreath left his phone on an RTD bus.
Credit: 9NEWS

DENVER — A Boulder man is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography.

According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 29-year-old Wesley David Gilreath left his phone on an RTD bus in May 2019. The phone was recovered by RTD employees, who provided it to the Boulder Police Department, the release said, and the FBI later obtained a warrant to search the phone.

The DOJ said Gilreath's phone contained 12,000 images and 200 videos depicting child pornography. He also used the phone to find child pornography, according to the release.

Gilreath was arrested on a federal warrant in July, the release said, and the FBI searched his home the next day. The DOJ said agents seized a thumb drive containing about 22,000 images and 2,400 videos depicting child pornography. Agents also seized a second phone with about 4,750 images and 1,400 videos of child pornography on it, according to the DOJ.

The child pornography agents found included images and videos of toddlers and infants, according to the release, and Gilreath used Twitter and other social media to knowingly receive, transport and distribute child pornography. 

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“The child pornography images and videos the defendant possessed were utterly offensive,” U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said.  “Thanks to the FBI, Boulder Police Department and RTD, we are able to get a serial child pornographer off our streets, protecting our children.”

Gilreath will remain in custody pending sentencing, the DOJ said. He was previously ordered to be detained after a detention hearing that included evidence that he had posted "hunting guides" online targeting Jews, Muslims and other groups, according to the release, and had been researching locations of local religious institutions.

Sentencing is set for June 2.

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