Former Kennedy Center manager pleads guilty to child pornography charges
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - A former Kennedy Center manager has pled guilty to child pornography charges and is set to be sentenced in May.
David Aidan Butler of D.C. is accused of transporting child pornography in October 2021, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. court.
Homeland Security (HS) initiated an investigation into Butler after learning that an online chat account associated with him was used to upload an image depicting the sexual abuse of a minor.
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In July 2019, HS received information from Kik Messenger that an individual with the username "DCDAVEY1" uploaded an image containing suspected child porn. HS traced the IP address to Butler.
Butler was interviewed by HS at Dulles International Airport after returning from an overseas trip in October 2021. During the interview, Butler identified "DCDAVEY1" as one of his Kik usernames, and he admitted that he had received images on Kik that he would consider child pornography.
Butler's phone was found to contain multiple files of child pornography.
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Butler was indicted in November 2022, pleaded guilty in February 2023 and is set to be sentenced in May. The Kennedy Center confirms Butler was an employee and was terminated in August 2022. He worked as a finance manager for the Washington National Opera.
Here is their full statement:
"Upon learning about the arrest and subsequent charges, David Butler’s employment was immediately terminated, as of August 1, 2022. As a Finance Manager at the Washington National Opera, this individual’s job responsibilities did not involve any contact with minors. Further inquiries should be directed to the U.S. Department of Justice."