Pottsville Man Admits to Possessing Child Pornography

Dennis C. Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a 55-year-old Pottsville man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child pornography in March 2009.

Pfannenschmidt stated that Michael Maroukis admitted to having numerous images of child pornography on his computer.

Pfannenschmidt noted that Maroukis pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information that was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with the assistance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Belarus.

Maroukis faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He also faces at least five years of supervised release and could be placed on supervised release for life following the completion of any prison sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2010.

Pfannenschmidt noted that this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Pfannenschmidt noted that Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.