CLARKSBURG — The defense team for former Buckhannon Mayor David Walter McCauley is expected to seek a reduced sentence during a federal sentencing hearing scheduled for Thursday in U.S. District Court, according to WV News.
McCauley, 66, pleaded guilty in late 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography and faces up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have filed sentencing memorandums under seal, though court records indicate the government’s filing responds to a defense motion seeking a downward variance.
As part of a plea agreement, McCauley admitted that authorities seized an image of a 17-year-old minor engaged in sexual acts with him, taken in July 2022 at his residence. A video showing additional explicit conduct with the same minor was also recovered, according to court documents.
In exchange for his guilty plea, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss two counts of production of child pornography, each of which carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh will preside over Thursday’s sentencing in the Northern District of West Virginia.
