Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Henry, 43, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material, the Justice Department said July 30, 2025. (File)
A Virginia sailor who was caught with depictions of the sexual abuse of nearly 30 children was sentenced to six years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Henry, 43, pleaded guilty in April in federal court in Norfolk to one count of receipt of child pornography, according to court documents. His sentencing was announced in a DOJ statement Wednesday.
Henry was assigned to Theater Underseas Surveillance Command, Atlantic.
Last fall, authorities were told of concerns that he was viewing child pornography on his laptop. A witness said she had found a folder on the computer containing sexually explicit videos of children ages 4 to 13, court documents said.
A search of his electronic devices found 176 videos and 119 images depicting the sexual abuse of at least 27 children, according to prosecutors.
Henry searched online for messaging app groups using keyword searches of “Teens and Schoolgirls” and “Teen XXX Groups.” He used the apps to request abuse material and to find additional groups, the DOJ said in the statement.
He later deleted one of the apps and told Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents that “there are people looking for predators,” prosecutors said.
After serving his sentence, he’ll be subject to five years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. He’ll also be forbidden from any intentional contact with a child under 18 and is required to pay $7,000 in restitution.
