MORGANTOWN — Morgantown man pleaded guilty Tuesday to having child pornography.
David Berentsen, 74, pleaded guilty to possession of material of minors in sexually explicit conduct. He was indicted by the January session of the grand jury.
According to the terms of the plea deal, the state recommended Berentsen receive two to 10 years incarceration, but will not oppose home confinement, Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Perri Jo DeChristopher said.
Berentsen is also required to register as a sex offender.
If the case had gone to trial, DeChristopher said the state was prepared to prove that detectives from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department were first alerted to the case by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who reported explicit pictures being uploaded.
The Yahoo email address used to send the pictures was traced to a Laurel Court residence where Berensten lived. His computer was seized after obtaining a search warrant and 725 items believed to depict minors in sexually explicit acts were found, DeChristopher said.
Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Gaujot accepted the plea and set Berensten’s sentencing hearing for May 30.
