April 9, 2015

Latrobe Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

PITTSBURGH—A resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Thomas Deglau, 56, formerly of Latrobe, Pa. pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on dates from on or about January 2012 to January 2014, Deglau employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the sexual exploitation of the minors.

Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Deglau.

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.justice.gov/psc.