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Press Release

Luzerne County Man Sentenced To Five Years’ Imprisonment For Receiving Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Barratt, age 40, of Sugarloaf Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on August 27, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for receiving child pornography.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Barratt previously pleaded guilty to using his cell phone and computer to access images and videos of child pornography from websites on the internet. Barratt committed the offense between April 2018 and March 5, 2019, in Luzerne County.

Judge Mannion also ordered Barratt to serve five years on supervised release following his prison sentence. Barratt must also pay restitution in the amount of $3000 to each of nine victims identified in the images of child pornography that were seized from Barratt’s devices. Judge Mannion also ordered Barratt to undergo sex offender treatment and to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted 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 For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

 

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Updated August 28, 2020

Topic
Project Safe Childhood