Former Buckhannon mayor indicted on child porn charges
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CLARKSBURG -- A former Buckhannon mayor and sitting City Council member was indicted and arrested Wednesday on child pornography charges, according to the United States Attorney's Office.
David Walter McCauley, 66, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of production and one count of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia William Ihlenfeld announced.
McCauley, who was the mayor of Buckhannon from 2016 to 2020, is serving a four-year-term on the Buckhannon City Council, a post to which he was elected in 2022.
The indictment alleges that McCauley enticed a 17-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct for photo and video production and that McCauley knowingly possessed illegal images on his computer.
"As alleged, David McCauley produced child pornography involving a juvenile boy on multiple occasions," Ihlenfeld said in a press release. "Those who prey upon and exploit our youth will be held accountable, no matter their status in the community."
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pittsburgh Police Department and the Upshur County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case.
McCauley faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for each of the production charges and up to 10 years on the possession charge.
On Sept. 30, 2022, FBI agents and representatives of the Pittsburgh Police Department and the Upshur County Sheriff's Office conducted a search of McCauley's home. It was reported at the time that the FBI had taken items out of the home.
The City of Buckhannon released a statement on the matter on its Facebook page Wednesday.
"The City of Buckhannon is aware that council member David W. McCauley has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges," the post read. "The City fully supports the judicial system and respects the dedication of the federal grand jury system. Mr. McCauley was elected to a four-year term on the city council in 2022. At this time, the City has no further comments regarding the matter."
According to the United States Attorney's Office, the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit Justice.gov/PSC.