Mercer man arrested on possession of child pornography charges

Apr. 10—ROCK — A Mercer County man is being held at a regional jail after being charged with possession of child pornography.

Matthew Billings, 31, of Rock was arrested by Detective-Sergeant S.A. Sommers with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department and charged with possession of child pornography depicting violence against a child.

Billings, who was arrested Thursday, is currently being held at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver on a $30,000 bond.

The arrest is a result of an ongoing investigation involving the Virginia State Police, West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit, West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Mercer County Sheriff's Department.

Billings was convicted on Sept. 6, 2012 in Louisiana of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The victim was a female juvenile between the ages of 13 and 17, according to the West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry. Billings served approximately 3 years and eight months at a correctional facility and was given three years of probation.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com