A Vancouver man who possessed hundreds of images of child pornography was sentenced Friday to nearly four years in prison.
Jacob L. Bynum, 30, pleaded guilty April 25 in Clark County Superior Court to two counts of first-degree possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of first-degree viewing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
In February 2018, the Vancouver Police Department’s Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit began investigating after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Dropbox, a file-hosting service, had reported a video containing suspected child pornography, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Dropbox provided investigators with several internet protocol, or IP, addresses associated with the account, which were later traced to Bynum, the affidavit says.
A re-constructed account belonging to Bynum held multiple folders containing photos and videos of girls, ranging in age from infant to pre-teen, being sexually abused, according to court documents. The images were downloaded and saved to the account over several months.
A forensic analysis found about 111 images of child pornography and 147 images that were difficult to determine the victims’ ages, court records state.
When contacted, Bynum admitted to investigators the Dropbox account was his and said he saved child pornography to the account. His cellphone was also seized, and child pornography was found on it, the affidavit says.
During sentencing, Bynum’s defense attorney, Darquise Cloutier, said her client was “surfing the web” when he accidentally came across child pornography. It triggered something, she said, and he started seeking out child pornography. Cloutier said Bynum was abused as a child.
“He realizes it was wrong,” she said.
Bynum apologized to the court, his family and friends for his behavior.
Judge Bernard Veljacic noted Bynum’s “good, repentant attitude” and agreed to follow the joint sentencing recommendation of 46 months in prison. Bynum was given credit for four days already served. He must register as a sex offender, undergo psychosexual treatment and is not to have contact with children.
