RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced KENNETH WADE REINHOLD, 33, of Holly Ridge, North Carolina to 360 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

REINHOLD was named in an Indictment filed on January 19, 2019 charging him with multiple counts of manufacture of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  On June 12, 2019, REINHOLD pled guilty to manufacturing child pornography. 

In June 2018 the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Kansas City, Missouri, was investigating the distribution of child pornography on social media sites.  An agent working in an undercover capacity found REINHOLD and others exchanging child pornography via Kik Interactive social media site.   The undercover agent, in an attempt to gain information about the criminal activities and identity of REINHOLD, said she had two daughters that she was interested in exposing to sexual activity.  REINHOLD expressed an immediate interest and began having private conversations with the agent.  During those conversations the agent became aware REINHOLD was molesting young children with whom he had contact.  Agents identified REINHOLD based on photos and dteremined he lived in Holly Ridge, North Carolina.  FBI in Kansas City referred the matter to FBI in Wilmington, North Carolina so immediate action could be taken to protect the children against whom REINHOLD was offending. 

The FBI and Onslow County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at REINHOLD’s residence in Holly Ridge and seized multiple digital devices.  REINHOLD, after being warned of his Miranda rights, admitted to taking exploitative photos of multiple children.  He also admitted to running the chat group on Kik where multiple people were exchanging child pornography. 

Forensic analysis of REINHOLD’s digital devices uncovered 185 images and 206 videos of child pornography.  Law enforcement also found multiple child pornographic images and videos that REINHOLD himself produced, depicting minor victims under the age of 12.

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Onslow County Sherriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Blondel, Charity Wilson and Jake D. Pugh.