PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal child sexual exploitation laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

William Blumentritt, 52, pleaded guilty on April 11, before United States District Judge Gustave Diamond to two counts of transporting visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of possessing such visual depictions.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Blumentritt transported the visual depictions on March 26, 2009, and June 25, 2009, in the process of chatting online with someone he believed was the mother of a nine-year-old female child. Blumentritt expressed an interest in the sexual development of the child while chatting online. Blumentritt possessed the visual depictions on February26, 2010, when a federal search warrant was served at his residence.

Judge Diamond scheduled sentencing for May 1, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of at least 5 years and up to 50 years in prison, a fine of up to $750,000, or both. Underthe Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jeannette Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the convictions in this case.

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