McCauley

WHEELING — A former Buckhannon mayor has pleaded guilty to possessing images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit acts.

David Walter McCauley, 66, entered a plea of guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in federal court Thursday, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

McCauley faces a maximum sentence of no more than 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and the requirement to register as a sex offender for life. The United States Attorney’s Office will recommend that McCauley receive the maximum sentence.

“Manipulating a child to produce pornographic images is a despicable crime,” Ihlenfeld said in a press release. “I’m grateful for the hard work of our law enforcement partners to ensure that David McCauley will no longer pose a threat to the community.”

McCauley was arrested on Oct. 2 and was originally charged with two counts of production and one count of possession of child pornography; however, in exchange for his guilty plea, the two counts of production were dismissed. McCauley was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is pending further proceedings.

According to court documents and statements made in court, McCauley “enticed a 17-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct for photo and video production.”

“The Government proffered the contents of the image and videos which underpin the Indictment. They depict the alleged victim performing sexual acts on and for Defendant,” U.S. Magistrate James P. Mazzone said in a written order. “Credible evidence exists that Defendant advocated for the alleged victim to delete evidence. The Government also proffered evidence that that Defendant groomed the alleged victim prior to beginning a sexual relationship with the alleged victim.”

At the time McCauley first contacted the alleged victim, the age difference between the two was 47 years, Mazzone said.

“It is also significant that Defendant made contact with the alleged victim through social media channels with an offer, either explicit or implicit, to help the alleged victim when the alleged victim was in a vulnerable state,” Mazzone said. “Defendant’s alleged attempts to destroy evidence are also significant. Defendant’s actions before, during, and after the investigation and Indictment demonstrate that he is a danger to the community by clear and convincing evidence.”

“The Court notes that the Defendant does not have a criminal history,” Mazzone said. “Defendant also has the support of family and friends, as evidenced by the various witnesses who presented testimony on his behalf. Cumulatively, the testimony offered by Defendant’s witnesses related in large part to his community and career accomplishments.”

However, that did not sway the court.

“The evidence concerning Defendant’s career and community accomplishments is not persuasive, however, when considered in conjunction with the evidence which forms the basis of the Indictment. Said evidence is graphic and disturbing,” Mazzone said.

McCauley, who was the mayor of Buckhannon from 2016 to 2020, was serving a four-year term in the Buckhannon City Council, a post he was elected to in 2022, when he was arrested. He resigned from city council on Oct. 8.