VINTON, Va. — A 22-year-old man who was living in Vinton when he was arrested has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in a case involving sexually explicit images and videos of underage girls.
Alageon Jaytwon Lee Gravely previously pleaded guilty to nine federal charges involving the receipt and distribution of child pornography. The nine victims connected to those charges were between 14 and 17 years old when the material was created.
Federal investigators, however, uncovered a much larger collection while searching Gravely’s phone, Snapchat account and Dropbox account.
According to court records, investigators found sexually explicit material depicting more than 100 girls and young women. Many could not be identified, while others were determined to have been 18 or older at the time. Prosecutors said Gravely repeatedly sought out underage girls through social media and, in some cases, used coercion or threats to obtain additional explicit material.
The investigation began after the parent of one victim contacted law enforcement.
Court records describe allegations that Gravely took control of one victim’s Snapchat account and that another victim was threatened with having previously obtained images sent to her parents unless she provided additional material.
The charged offenses occurred between August 2023 and May 2024. Eight of the nine identified victims were from the Roanoke region or elsewhere in western Virginia, while one was in Mississippi.
Gravely’s defense attorney asked the court for the five-year mandatory minimum sentence, pointing to Gravely’s young age at the time of the offenses and details of a troubled childhood.
U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon instead imposed a 14-year sentence. According to reporting from Wednesday’s sentencing and federal court records, the judge cited the repeated pattern of predatory behavior among the factors considered.
Gravely was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to each of the nine identified victims — a total of $27,000.
He has remained in custody without bond since his arrest.
Editor’s Note: Some information in this report was originally reported by The Roanoke Times, including details from Wednesday’s sentencing hearing.