North Versailles Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 17, 2011 |
PITTSBURGH—A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on May 3, 2010, and unsealed today named John A. Brownlee, III, 61, of North Versailles, Pa., as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about Feb. 4, 2011, Brownlee distributed images in computer graphics files containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five nor more than 20 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 Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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. Attorneys’ 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.