SCRANTON MAN ADMITS TO RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a 49-year-old Scranton man pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy to receiving child pornography during 2007.

Carlson stated that Anthony Woytach admitted to downloading to his computer sexually explicit images of minors.

Woytach was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 11, 2008, as a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Lackawanna County Detectives, Scranton Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Carlson noted that Woytach faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a special assessment of $100, and could be placed on supervised release for life after serving his prison sentence. Judge Conaboy scheduled Woytach’s sentencing for August 21, 2008.

Carlson noted that the investigation and prosecution of Woytach are part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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.

Carlson noted that the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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