Columbia County Man Indicted For Receipt And Possession Of Child Pornography

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 12, 2024, Vincent Shaffer, age 44, of Schuylkill County, PA, was indicted on a charge of possession of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Shaffer received child pornography on August 20, 2023, and possessed child pornography on December 7, 2023, in Columbia County. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-RAC Williamsport and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.

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.usdoj.gov/psc.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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