Home Philadelphia Press Releases 2009 Luzerne County Man Admits Receiving Child Pornography
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Luzerne County Man Admits Receiving Child Pornography

U.S. Attorney’s Office November 20, 2009
  • Middle District of Pennsylvania (717) 221-4482

Dennis C. Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a 49-year-old Harding resident pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley to receiving child pornography during January 2008.

Pfannenschmidt stated that John Patterson admitted to receiving sexually explicit images and videos of minors on his computer.

Patterson was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 3, 2009. Patterson’s charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, West Pittston Police, and the Delaware County Internet Crimes Unit. Patterson resided in West Pittston at the time of the offense.

Pfannenschmidt noted that the plea agreement in the case recommends that Patterson be sentenced to 135 months in prison, a life term of supervised release after serving his prison sentence, and a $100 special assessment. Judge Munley scheduled sentencing for February 25, 2010.

Pfannenschmidt noted that this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Pfannenschmidt noted that the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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