CyberTip Leads To 20‑Year Federal Sentence For Wheeling Man
A single CyberTip led to a Wheeling man being convicted in federal court of producing and distributing child sexual abuse material online and being sentenced to 20 years in prison. Gage Heckman, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey. The case began when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children flagged suspicious activity on an Instagram account. That alert set off an immediate, coordinated investigation by federal and local authorities. Search warrants were executed, electronic devices were seized from Heckman’s South Wheeling residence, and ...