Stafford County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested for receipt of child sexual abuse material

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A sergeant with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office was arrested July 30 on charges of receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, since at least 2023, Justin Thomas Lee Forman, 37, of Fredericksburg, allegedly used a Telegram account to solicit, purchase, and receive CSAM from another Telegram account. Forman allegedly received links and files containing CSAM, including videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children and infants. After receiving a tip in June, the FBI searched Forman’s residence on July 30 and seized approximately 16 electronic devices. Forman was arrested on July 30 and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court on July 31. At a preliminary and detention hearing today, Forman entered a plea of not guilty. If convicted, Forman faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Mercer is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 . Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-mj-299. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.