RICHMOND, Va. – A former Richmond City Public Schools elementary music teacher and minister pleaded guilty Wednesday to producing images of child sexual abuse.
Kellen Thomas Donelson, 32, was charged by Homeland Security Agents following an investigation and search warrant on his Richmond home.
Donelson was a music teacher at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School in South Richmond, and an Associate Minister at Mount Hope Baptist Church.
The Richmond man came to the attention of law enforcement in 2019 for uploading multiple images of child pornography via Snapchat and Kik Messenger, according to court documents.
In the summer of 2019, Homeland Security received tips that Donelson, under the name "love4muziq," uploaded images of child porn to Snapchat and the messaging app Kik.
During a search warrant executed on his Richmond home in December 2019, Donelson admitted to exchanging child pornography and told agents that his phone contained explicit images and videos.
Court documents reveal he also admitted that he produced several images and videos of child pornography using his personal cell phone, including with a victim as young as 4 years old.
Law enforcement officials discovered dozens of images and videos of child sexual abuse on his cell phone.
Donelson pleaded guilty to production of child pornography o Wednesday.
He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on September 28, 2020.
