Former Corry Physician Sentenced For Possessing Child Pornography

ERIE, Pa - A resident of Corry, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 39 months in jail and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $1,000 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on William Jay Blazes, 47.

According to information presented to the court, Blazes possessed thousands of computer images and movies depicting 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, 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.

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

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Corry Police Department, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Blazes.