RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield County man who was found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography last summer will spend the next 20 years in prison.

Welton Terry, Sr., 44, was sentenced to 20 years inside Chesterfield County Circuit Court on Tuesday. He was convicted last August on three counts of distribution of child porn and 10 counts of possession of child porn.

Terry Sr. is also required to pay $37,000 in fines and restitution and register as a sex offender.

“A 20-year prison sentence sends a strong message to those who rob children of their innocence through sexual solicitation, distribution, and ownership of child pornography that they will be held accountable for their disgusting actions,” Attorney General Mark Herring said.

“Thanks to the collaboration between my team and local law enforcement agencies, another dangerous predator is off the streets and out of our community. My office will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice against those who would take advantage of and harm children.”

Evidence presented in court showed that the defendant was identified through an undercover investigation by a law enforcement officer into the trading of child pornography over a peer-to-peer network on the internet.

The officer came into contact with an individual who was making hundreds of files depicting child pornography available for sharing. The officer was able to download almost 50 files containing child pornography directly from the individual’s computer.

Based on that information, the Chesterfield Police Department obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence. Forensic examination of the defendant’s computer revealed 27 videos of child pornography depicting prepubescent female children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Also recovered were a data wiping program near the computer, an external hard drive containing remnants of file names synonymous with child pornography, and a notebook written by the defendant containing passages that referred to downloading, viewing, and purging child pornography.

The case was investigated by the Chesterfield Police Department and Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Computer Analysis Response Team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted computer forensic examinations in support of this case. Assistant Attorney General Melissa Chong, with cooperation from the Chesterfield County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

Find 8News on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; send your news tips to iReport8@wric.com.