Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 15 Years’ Imprisonment For Receiving Child Pornography

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Portanova, age 28, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley for receiving child pornography.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Portanova previously admitted that he used his cell phone to receive images and videos of child pornography using a file-sharing network on the internet. Portanova committed the offense between August 2017 and October 30, 2017, in Luzerne County.

Portanova committed the offense after having been convicted of dissemination and possession of child pornography in Luzerne County in 2014.

Judge Munley also ordered Portanova to serve 10 years on supervised release following his prison sentence, pay a special assessment of $5,100, comply with the restrictions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and receive sex offender treatment.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

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