NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A former Newport News police officer pleaded guilty to child sexual exploitation and child pornography charges.
Michael Covey, 39, was taken into custody at the Newport News Police Department headquarters on June 10, where he was charged with crimes against children. A week later in court, he pleaded not guilty.
But prosecutors said he entered a guilty plea in federal court on Thursday to two counts of the sexual exploitation of children and one count of receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Covey used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct and gave images of that assault to a sex offender in Ohio.
When those images were found on the sex offender's electronic device, they were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria, which determined the pictures may have been made in Newport News.
The FBI was contacted and agents were able to identify the victim. Following an investigation, Covey was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.
Covey faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 80 years. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 22, 2023.