March 12, 2015

Child Exploitation Charges Filed Against Morgantown Man

PHILADELPHIA—Robert Wendell Landis, 30, of Morgantown, PA, was charged today by indictment with possession, receipt and production of child pornography and online enticement, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.

If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment, lifetime supervised release, a $1,250,000 fine and a $500 special assessment.

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.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roberta Benjamin.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.