Perryton man pleads guilty to charges related to possession of child pornography

Jun 17, 2022

Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that David Lee Elder is from Perryton, Texas.

Perryton, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — According to a plea agreement filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division, David Lee Elder pleaded guilty to a charge of Possession of Prepubescent Child Pornography earlier this month.

In November 2021, the Dallas Police Department received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a Verizon Wireless user uploaded 309 files that contained child pornography on three separate dates. Law enforcement confirmed that the user account was associated with Elder.

A search warrant was obtained by law enforcement in December 2021 for the contents of Elder’s cloud account and phone number. A review of Elder’s cloud storage showed about 674 images and 6 videos that contained child pornography.

Court documents state that the government must prove that Elder:

• Knowingly possessed an item or items containing child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor; and
• That the material was transported, shipped, or mailed using any means or facility of in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer; and
• That when the defendant possessed the material, the defendant knew the material was child pornography.

Potential penalties include imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice any pecuniary gains to the defendant or loss to the victim(s).