Boulder Man Sentenced For Possessing Tens Of Thousands Of Images And Videos Of Child Pornography

DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Wesley David Gilreath, age 30, of Boulder, was sentenced today to serve 186 months in federal prison (15.5 years) followed by 10 years on supervised release for possession of child pornography.  Gilreath was remanded at the conclusion of the sentencing hearing.  The Denver office of the FBI joined in today’s announcement.

According to the stipulated facts contained in his plea agreement, the FBI searched Gilreath’s phone pursuant to a federal search warrant after it was found on a bus.  The contents of Gilreath’s phone included approximately 12,000 images and 200 videos depicting child pornography.  Gilreath also used the phone to seek out child pornography. 

On July 31, 2019, the defendant was arrested pursuant to a federal warrant.  During a subsequent search of his residence, FBI agents seized a thumb drive with approximately 22,000 images and 2,400 videos depicting child pornography.  Agents also seized a second phone with approximately 4,750 images and 1,400 videos depicting child pornography.  The child pornography on the thumb drive and both of the defendant’s phones included images and videos depicting the sexual abuse and torture of toddlers and infants.  In addition, Gilreath used various social media, including three Twitter accounts and one Gab account, to knowingly receive, transport and distribute child pornography. 

During the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented to the court that Gilreath had posted “hunting guides” online targeting Jews, Muslims, and other groups.  During the search of the defendant’s residence, agents found: a full-size Nazi flag, two full-size black and white flags bearing symbols associated with white supremacy; a book titled “National Anarchism”; a book titled “American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing”; a book titled “In Bad Company: America’s Terrorist Underground”; and a tee-shirt bearing Timothy McVeigh’s face, among other items.  Agents also found hand-written notes bearing the names and addresses of 15 Mosques, Synagogues, religious centers and other locations, all less than 35 miles from the defendant’s apartment.  Additionally, the investigation revealed that in May 2019, Gilreath attempted to purchase a firearm, but that purchase was denied following a query of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). 

“While one image of child pornography is horrific, tens of thousands of images and videos in the possession of one person is almost incomprehensible in its depravity and wickedness.  While we can never return the lost innocence that this defendant has stolen, this sentence ensures that he can no longer contribute to the market for these images,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.  “Mr. Gilreath was also a credible threat to various religious communities in Colorado.  They can now rest assured that that threat has been stopped for at least a very long time.”

“The FBI will continue to do everything in its power to stop children from being exploited and bring justice to those responsible,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “This case is a great example of the work that can be done when state and federal partners collaborate to hold those accountable for their actions. We appreciate the dedication of the Boulder Police Department, RTD, and United States Attorney's Office in this investigation.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Martinez. 

The sentence was pronounced by U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore.  This case was investigated by the FBI with support from the Boulder Police Department, RTD, and the Rocky Mountain Regional Computer Forensic Lab. 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.  Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Number 19-cr-384.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.