East Pittsburgh Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Child Pornography

PITTSBURGH—An East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal child exploitation laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The one-count indictment named Vernon Lee Furby, Jr., 20, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on or about July 15, 2010, Furby possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence ofv10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Soo C. Song is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police, aided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.