07-05-2025
West Virginia man found with nearly 1500 child porn images, troopers say
FRANKLIN, (WBOY) — Law enforcement has announced the arrest of a Pendleton County man who they say was found with nearly 1500 pictures of child pornography.
Jerry Ayres
According to a release from the FBI, troopers with the West Virginia State Police opened an investigation into Jerry Lewis Ayres, 55, of Franklin, after receiving a tip from the Virginia State Police's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. An investigation into Ayres revealed that he downloaded child pornography multiple times, with some images depicting minors under the age of 12 in 'sexual acts and positions.' A search of his home, phone and computer yielded nearly 1500 images.
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Ayres was arrested and federally charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He faces between five and 20 years in prison for the receipt count and up to 20 years in prison for the possession count. He's currently being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
Ayres' arrest comes as part of the Department of Justice's Operation Restore Justice, a nationwide effort between several agencies to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. In total, the five-day operation resulted in the arrests of 205 such predators and the rescue of 115 children.
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