The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 39-year-old man who previously resided in Luzerne County, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy to 96 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Leonard Schweitzer, who resided in Hazle Township at the time of the offense, downloaded the child pornography during November and December of 2009. He subsequently pleaded guilty to the offense.

     Schweitzer was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2010, as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

     U.S. Attorney Smith 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.

     Judge Conaboy also ordered that Schweitzer be placed on supervised release for life following his prison sentence, and pay a $100 special assessment.

     U.S. Attorney Smith noted that the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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