A 36-year-old Belington man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for transporting child sexual abuse material.
Arlin James Fleckenstein must also pay $83,500 in restitution to victims depicted in the material, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Fleckenstein was working as a bus driver and living at a resort in 2023. He drove for the resort, not a school or school district, the U.S. Attorney’s Office clarified in a follow-up email.
The investigation began with a cyber tip after Fleckenstein uploaded thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material to an online file-sharing service, the release said.
A second tip, from Instagram, reached investigators during their inquiry. It concerned an adult’s explicit conversation with a minor in another state. Investigators traced both tips to Fleckenstein, according to the release.
A search of his electronic devices under a warrant turned up more than 1,000 illegal images and videos, the release said. Investigators also found conversations with other victims across several social media platforms.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and West Virginia State Police investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney David Perri prosecuted. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh heard the case.
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