Previously convicted offender returning to prison for possession child sexual abuse material

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years and one month in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, on July 6, 2012, William Oyster, 50, was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of receipt of CSAM. Oyster was released from prison in November 2020 and began a term of supervised release that included provisions making his home and electronic devices subject to search at any time and prohibiting him from using or accessing online devices without prior approval of a probation officer.

On Nov. 12, 2025, a probation officer conducted a routine search of Oyster’s residence and observed an unapproved smartphone in plain view. Within the residence, Oyster also possessed another smartphone, an external hard drive, and two thumb drives. A review of the devices revealed that Oyster possessed CSAM.

When the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Oyster on Jan. 6, 2026, he was in possession of a loaded handgun. As a previously convicted felon, Oyster cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. HSI and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Mozzi prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-33.