VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach firefighter charged with distributing child pornography entered into a plea agreement Friday.
Douglas France pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of sexually explicit material involving a minor, a charge that carries a minimum of five years in prison.
France was arrested in October 2022 for alleged crimes that started in November 2021.
According to an affidavit, France uploaded more than 100 files of child pornography to an instant messaging account. Ninety-eight of them were uploaded between Nov. 23 and Dec. 16 of 2021, and almost 30 were uploaded in mid-February 2022.
The court document said some of the victims in these videos appeared to be as young as 4 years old.
On Friday, U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi asked the judge to have France taken into custody and his bond revoked. Judge Lawrence Leonard approved the request but ordered a two-week stay in place, to give France the opportunity to appeal to a district judge and potentially remain free on bond until his sentencing.
France's sentencing is scheduled for May 26, 2023.