Man sentenced to 27 years for plotting to kidnap and eat children requested early release in Virginia

On May 6, 2013 Gregory Portway pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence, specifically kidnapping a child, as well as distribution and possession of child pornography as part of a plea agreement.

September of that same year, U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman sentenced Portway to 320 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.

Portway, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was arrested in July 2012 after investigators found out about him through what Mass Live calls a "massive child sexual abuse investigation."  Upon searching his residence, investigators not only found child pornography and images of what appeared to be dead children on his computer, they also discovered a child-sized coffin and a steel cage in what Portway referred to as his "boy butcher basement."

"Inside the door was a sally port that led to a second door (with a keyed lock). Inside the second door was a dungeon, which was lined with acoustical sound-deadening material and contained a chair, television, and what appeared to be cable access to the internet," the statement of facts released by ICE reads.  "The room also contained a child-seized homemade coffin (with large speakers covered in wire mesh at one end_ with exterior locking devices, a steel cage with multiple locking devices, and a steel tabletop (with steel rings at six points, presumably for restraints). Outside these rooms were a cabinet freezer, an upright freezer, disposable scalpels, butchering kits, and castration tools."

In online conversations, Portway repeatedly solicited several people for assistance to kidnap a child for the purpose of rape, murder, and ultimately, consumption.  According to ICE, the solicitations centered around real children- discussed by name and photos.

47-year-old Portway, who is not scheduled to be released until May 28, 2035, submitted a handwritten motion on December 1 seeking compassionate release so that he can return to England, citing fears over Covid and co-morbidity issues.

This is not the first time that Portway has fought to seek an early release.

According to WSOC TV, he cited diagnoses of obesity, diabetes and hypertension for his concern. "It is impossible for me to practice social distancing or other recommendations made by the CDC," the motion said. "Because of my heath and my conditions of confinement in the midst of a pandemic, I cannot provide self-care that would ensure my safety."

U.S. District Judge Timothy Hillman reviewed medical records provided by the federal prison which as of June 2019 indicated his weight as 283 pounds and confirm treatment for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  On Tuesday, he denied Portway's request.

Hillman determined that his medical conditions are common chronic conditions and state that Portway failed to show a reason why his conditions sound be considered more of a risk than others in the prison population. He additionally referred back to the severity of the crimes Portway had pleaded guilty to as a reason to continue his incarceration.

“Furthermore, if I release him and he is deported to the United Kingdom, I have no way of ensuring that he will comply with the special conditions of supervised release that I imposed at his sentencing,” Hillman said in his ruling.