A Lake Monticello man will serve 31 years in prison after being convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography and other charges.
Anthony Roy Ricciotti, Jr, 52, who lived on Woodlawn Drive, was sentenced to a total of 190 years by the Fluvanna County Circuit Court on Feb. 17, of which 31 years is active, according to the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s office. Ricciotti had worked as an information technology contractor for the federal government.
According to the press release from Major David R. Wells, chief deputy, at the sheriff’s office:
In October of 2019, the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children through the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force related to the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) – commonly referred to as child pornography – from within Fluvanna County.
An investigation was initiated to identify the offender. In April of 2020, investigators received additional reports through the FBI in Richmond that were believed to be related cases with additional distribution of CSAM and the investigation continued.
In May of 2020, a search warrant was executed on a residence on Woodlawn Drive inside the
Lake Monticello Community of Fluvanna County with the assistance of the Naval Criminal
Investigative Service, the Albemarle County Police Department, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fluvanna County Department of Social Services Child Protective Service Division.
During the search, numerous electronic devices were seized to include computers, tablets, smartphones, and an elaborate home network with attached storage devices.
Ricciotti was arrested at the scene and charged with six counts of Distribution of Child Pornography. He was held without bond after being seen by a magistrate. As the investigation continued, consultation between the sheriff’s office and the Fluvanna County Commonwealth’s Attorney resulted in presenting the case to the Fluvanna County Grand Jury where additional charges were placed.
In July of 2021, Ricciotti ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges listed below. He was sentenced to 190 years by the Fluvanna County Circuit Court on Feb. 17, of which he will actively serve 31 years in the custody of the Virginia Department of Corrections.
He was convicted of one count of Possession of Child Pornography; nine counts of Possession of Child Pornography Second Offense; four counts of Distribution of Child Pornography; two counts of Distribution of Child Pornography Second Offense, and one count of Solicitation of Child Pornography to Gain Access to a Group, Association or Assembly of Persons Engaged in Trading Child Pornography. The final count listed – Solicitation of Child Pornography to Gain Access to a Group, Association or Assembly of Persons Engaged in Trading Child Pornography – is the first charge and conviction of its kind in the Fluvanna County community.
The Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office place a high
value on the real and virtual safety of the children in our community. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute crimes of this nature to protect the most vulnerable among us. We encourage parents, grandparents, educators, and anyone responsible for the care of children to educate themselves on safe online practices and to be active in the online lives of the children they are positioned to protect.
Educational information can be located through the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues and through their NetSmartz program at
https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz which offers information for all ages.
