Robinson Township Child Porn Collector Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison
PITTSBURGH, Pa. ‑ A former resident of Allegheny County, Pa., was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2010, in federal court to three years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on his conviction of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Gary L. Lancaster imposed the sentence on Christopher Beardsley, 54.
According to information presented to the court, on Sept. 15, 2009, Beardsley was found in possession of thousands of videos and still photographs depicting child pornography which he had obtained by computer. Most of the child pornography depicted prepubescent children and many images portrayed violent, sadistic, or masochistic activity. The government also presented evidence that before Beardsley's arrest in September 2009, he possessed the fourth largest collection of child pornography in the United States. Beardsley, upon release from incarceration, is required to register as a sex offender in the state in which he lives and/or works.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Pennsylvania State Police, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beardsley.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse, led by the United States Attorney's 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.
