Court Affirms 160-Month Prison Sentence for Child Pornography Offender

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit today affirmed the prison sentence of Scott Swanson, age 53. Swanson, a former Georgia resident, was previously sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik to serve 160 months in prison for aiding and abetting the production of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Swanson pleaded guilty in May 2010. Swanson admitted that in November 2008, he commanded and persuaded a 13-year-old child to produce and send him pornographic images.

The charge against Swanson resulted from an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Scranton Police, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Wyoming County District Attorney’s Office. A federal grand jury indicted Swanson in July 2009. Swanson was sentenced by Judge Kosik on October 7, 2010.

In appealing his sentence, Swanson claimed that the district court failed to meaningfully consider relevant sentencing factors and did not adequately articulate its reasons for imposing the 160-month prison sentence. In rejecting those claims, the Third Circuit Court noted that Judge Kosik addressed relevant sentencing factors such as the impact of Swanson’s crime on his victim, the need for just punishment, the interests of public safety, as well as certain mitigating factors.

The case and appeal were handled by Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa.