Briney convicted of child pornography

On December 11, 2023, the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) received a referral from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) regarding an open report that had been automatically flagging images and video files suspected to contain child sexual abuse material (CSAM). ICAC’s reporting system had detected a series of uploads associated with a specific IP address. According to the information provided, a total of thirty-three images and videos had triggered the automated reporting protocol. These files were confirmed consistent with CSAM.

The preliminary inquiry revealed that a Virtual Private Network was being utilized which made identification of the user to be difficult.  But multiple agencies working through this information were able to find a phone number associated with Verizon Wireless. Verizon’s subscriber information indicated that the account was linked to an address associated with the defendant, Chason Briney. This discovery prompted ACSO investigators to take additional steps to corroborate the connection between the flagged material, the device, and the defendant himself. Investigators sought and obtained a GPS tracking warrant for the specific Verizon device tied to the report. Such warrants allow law enforcement to passively monitor a phone’s geographical location in order to locate the device when a risk of destruction or concealment of evidence is present or track the device to associate it with a particular individual.

Through the GPS data supplied by Verizon pursuant to the warrant, investigators were able to identify the physical locations of the phone. Multiple search warrants were issued in this case to obtain electronic devices and storage at various addresses in an attempt to locate suspected CSAM.  One location was a business owned and operated by the defendant. Law enforcement responded to that location, identified the defendant in possession of the phone, and seized the device under the authority of the warrant. A forensic examination was conducted, but investigators quickly noted that the phone itself did not contain any illicit images or videos. The internal storage appeared to have been altered, wiped, or otherwise manipulated in a manner suggesting that the data previously present on the device had been removed. Despite the absence of contraband on the physical phone, investigators proceeded to obtain warrants to search the cloud-based and backup files stored by Verizon for that account.

Pursuant to a properly executed search warrant, Verizon produced backup data associated with the defendant’s device. These backup files are often automatically generated and preserved by service providers even when users attempt to erase or modify data on the physical device. Upon reviewing the materials returned by Verizon, investigators located a substantial number of images and videos constituting CSAM. These files matched the flagged materials originally reported by ICAC. In addition to the contraband, the backup data included ordinary photographs of the defendant, reinforcing the link between the device, the Verizon account, and the illegal material. This evidence provided investigators and prosecutors with a clear connection tying the defendant to the possession and storage of the illicit files.

Following the completion of the forensic review, the case proceeded to prosecution. The defendant, Chason Briney, was ultimately found guilty of fifteen counts of possession of child pornography. After conviction, a sentencing hearing was held to determine the appropriate punishment under Virginia law. On June 16, 2025, the circuit court sentenced Mr. Briney to a total of seventy-five years of incarceration, with all but nine years suspended. The court’s sentence reflected both the seriousness of the offenses and the structured sentencing framework for non-production of child pornography crimes.

Upon release, the defendant will be subject to twenty-five years of good behavior, a significant portion of which—five years—will be served under the direct supervision of Virginia Probation and Parole. His probation will include strict conditions tailored to the nature of the offense, including a prohibition on unsupervised contact with minors, restrictions on internet access unless specifically approved and monitored by his probation officer, and mandatory participation in sex-offender-specific treatment programs. Additionally, as required by Virginia statute, the defendant will be required to register as a sex offender, comply with all ongoing registration requirements, and remain subject to monitoring and statutory restrictions associated with that status. The sentence and conditions collectively reflect the gravity of the offenses, the investigative work that uncovered the evidence, and the legal safeguards designed to protect the community following his eventual release.