Guilty Plea On Federal Child Porn Charge Leads To Prison Sentence For DC Man

WASHINGTON, DC — Thomas Keelen, 53, of Southwest was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison after pleading guilty last August to possessing child pornography, according to court records.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified law enforcement that it had received a series of eight Cybertips indicating that Keelen was sending child pornography via several email accounts. The Cybertips described the material Keelen was transporting as containing more than 2,000 files, some of which depicted adult men sexually abusing young boys, according to court documents.

A search of Keelen's home in Southwest D.C. in December 2020 uncovered digital devices containing videos and images that showed the sexual exploitation of children as young as 8. Keelen was arrested on Dec. 2, 2020, and has been in custody ever since, according to authorities.

Last August, Keelen pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one federal charge of possessing child pornography.

Once Keelen completes his four-year prison sentence, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.