Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

PITTSBURGH—A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Michael Powers, 65, of 1882 Greenleaf Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, on or about June 21, 2013, Powers knowingly possessed videos and images in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Judge McVerry scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is 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 that led to the prosecution of Powers.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.