Army sergeant at JBLM sentenced to 5 years for distributing child sexual abuse materials

An Army staff sergeant assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse materials.

James Davis, 36, was prosecuted in U.S. federal court in the District of Columbia. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 7.

Judge Amir H. Ali also sentenced Davis to 10 years of supervised release after his prison term.

Federal attorneys said an undercover officer who communicated with Davis was based in the district, allowing for his prosecution there instead of Washington state.

“James Davis exploited online anonymity to engage in the abuse of children and to seek out other predators,” said Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “When investigators closed in, he attempted to destroy evidence rather than take responsibility. This office will continue to track down offenders who believe they can hide behind digital shadows.”

According to court documents, the investigation began when a law enforcement officer, working in an undercover capacity for the Metropolitan Police Department-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, encountered Davis on a website used to trade child sexual abuse material.

Davis began exchanging messages with the undercover officer and later continued the conversation on a messaging app. During those exchanges, Davis said he had sexually abused a minor over a period of years and sent the undercover officer images depicting the abuse.

Davis exchanged similar material with other users of the app and discussed a shared sexual interest in children.

Federal agents worked with the Army Criminal Investigation Division on the case, Pirro’s office said.

On April 11, 2025, the FBI executed a search warrant at Davis’ residence at Lewis-McChord. As agents arrived, Davis attempted to destroy a cellphone that prosecutors said contained evidence.

Davis later admitted to trading child sexual abuse material online.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Seattle Field Office.