Plum Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 23, 2009 |
United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today that Joseph Mark Miceli, a resident of Plum, Pennsylvania, pled guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal child pornography laws.
Miceli, age 23, pled guilty before United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry to one count of possession of child pornography.
In connection with the guilty plea, Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller advised the court that on April 8, 2008, Miceli possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge McVerry scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh High Tech Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Miceli.
This case is a product of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.