Scranton Man Convicted For Production Of Child Pornography And Attempted Witness Intimidation

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Lewis Kramer, age 36, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was convicted on July 7, 2021, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for production of child pornography and attempted witness tampering.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, during the two-day bench trial, the Government presented evidence that Kramer produced images and videos of child pornography between March 1, 2019 and March 27, 2020.  Also, on January 22, 2021, Kramer sent a letter to the victim’s mother threatening to have her arrested and put in jail.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Gallagher are prosecuting the case.

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.

Kramer faces a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence. And the maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

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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