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Former NNPD officer gets 25 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A former Newport News Police Department sergeant has been sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child.

On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Michael Covey to 25 years in prison.

Court documents show in Feb. 2022, the Hocking County, Ohio, Sheriff's Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The social media platform Kik filed a complaint with the NCMEC notifying them of seven pornographic images of young girls.

On June 1, the NCMEC identified two images and three videos of "apparent child exploitation" of a child. Through image analysis, the affidavit says NCMEC found possible investigative clues that would have identified the child or the person who produced the images and videos. The NCMEC determined that the files may have been taken in Newport News and forwarded them to the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Bedford County.

Days later, on June 7, the task force contacted FBI Norfolk for help with identifying the girl in the images and videos. According to the affidavit, the data from the video files traced the source of the images and videos, which were alleged to have come from Covey. The data even revealed that an iPhone was used to take the videos.

Covey eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of receipt of child pornography last year.

Covey had been with the department for 16 years. His most recent assignment was with the Special Operations K-9 Division.