CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A West Virginia man was sentenced to 17 years for possessing child pornography.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Lisa G. Johnson says Christopher Ryan Christian Counts, 29, of Charleston, was sentenced to 204 months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Counts possessed 259 images and 14 videos of child pornography, many of which depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images and videos contained scenes depicting minors and infants engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct, Johnston’s office says.

Counts has two prior sex offense convictions in Kanawha County Circuit Court involving young children.

He pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2020.