BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – A man was sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography, the U.S. Department of Justice for the Western District of Virginia said on Monday.
45-year-old Chris Buono pled guilty in January 2025 to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.
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“Individuals who take advantage of children, be it online or in person, must be held accountable for their actions. This sentence sends a clear message that anyone targeting children in the Western District of Virginia will be held accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert
Court documents claimed Buono was hosting a party in January 2024 in Buchanan, when he took a six-year-old girl into a separate room and photographed her in a sexually explicit manner. Buono later sent one of these photos to another individual who was said to have a sexual interest in minors.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office.