Man guilty of sharing child porn

Jun. 16—A Gamewell area man recently pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to child pornography and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Martin Van Driver, 56, of Townhouse Way was accused of uploading two pornographic videos to the internet and sending them to another person, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said in January 2020, when Driver was arrested.

One of the videos was more than nine minutes long and showed naked girls who appeared to be under 12 being sexually abused, according to a magistrate's order.

The other video, which was more than six minutes long, showed a girl who appeared to be between 4 and 8 being abused and also showed a boy about 10 and a girl about 12 "engaged in sexual activity," according to a second magistrate's order.

Driver initially was arrested on state charges of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, but he was charged federally in June 2020.

Driver pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to transportation of child pornography and aiding and abetting the transportation of child pornography.

Driver was convicted in 1990 on a state charge of indecent liberties with a child, according to court records. The victim in that case reported the incident on Oct. 1, 1989.

However, on Feb. 19, 1992, someone reported being raped by Driver, records show. He was arrested the next day and charged with second-degree rape. He pleaded guilty Sept. 21, 1992, to a reduced charge of attempted second-degree rape.

Despite these convictions, he was not registered as a sex offender because he was released from prison on Dec. 19, 1995. If he had been released on or after Jan. 1, 1996, when the sex registration law took effect, he would have been required to register as a sex offender.

Driver now must register as a sex offender once he is released from prison.

He also will be on federal probation for the rest of his life once released.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 828-610-8721.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 828-610-8721.

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