July 31, 2015

Harrisburg Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Kman, age 51, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty yesterday to production of child pornography before United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo in Harrisburg.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the charges against Kman were a result of Kman inducing, persuading and coercing his daughter, then age 17, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the sexual activity.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Pennsboro Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph J. Terz. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

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

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. Kman also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.