Erie Man Pleads Guilty in Project Safe Childhood Case

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Randy Lee Eicher, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from September 2018 to December 2018, Eicher received and distributed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

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 (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.

Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court continued Eicher on bond.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Boone, North Carolina Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Eicher.