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Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Norman Ridgeway, 27, of Croydon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison as a result of his production of child pornography with a 3-year-old child, his distribution of that same child pornography over the internet, and his possession of a massive trove of videos and images containing child pornography.
Defendant Ridgeway pleaded guilty on February 9, 2017, to counts one through three of an indictment charging him with production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Defendant Ridgeway’s crimes involved the production of child pornography with a 3-year-old child, and his subsequent distribution of that child pornography over the internet. Separately, defendant Ridgeway was caught possessing approximately 1,886 images containing child pornography, and 225 videos containing child pornography. When federal and local law enforcement attempted to arrest the defendant, he fled in a vehicle, during which time he destroyed additional evidence containing child pornography. Subsequently, while detained at the Federal Detention Center, Defendant Ridgeway attempted to obstruct justice by calling an associate and ordering that associate to locate and destroy additional evidence containing child pornography that the defendant had secretly stored in his wallet on a digital memory card.
Defendant Ridgeway was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno to a 30-year term of incarceration, 20 years of supervised release, a $2,000 fine, and a special assessment of $300. “The crimes that this defendant committed against the three-year old victim in this case, and numerous other children, are an abomination,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. “We are pleased with today’s outcome, and we remain dedicated to working on behalf of the victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation to prosecute and incarcerate for lengthy periods of time those who exploit the most vulnerable members of our community.”
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.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance provided by the Bensalem Township Police Department, the Warminster Township Police Department, the Middletown Township Police Department, and the Bristol Township Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James Petkun.