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Virginia man sentenced for distributing graphic child porn

ABINGDON, Va. (AP) — A federal prosecutor says a Virginia man has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for using an online messaging application to distribute child sex abuse materials.

U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh says Travis Shane Smith of Marion pleaded guilty in September to knowingly distributing visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

He was sentenced Thursday to 87 months in prison.

Court documents indicate that while on the app’s chatroom messaging board, Smith posted multiple graphic videos.

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Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which opens by Dec. 31, is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college. Some states now make completing the FAFSA a high school graduation requirement. The U.S. Department of Education awarded about $111.6 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds in fiscal year 2022, according to the most recent Federal Student Aid annual report. Those federal funds will assist roughly 9.8 million students in completing their education.
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