Substitute Teacher Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

Nicholas James Gaworski, age 26, of Clinton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.

In connection with the guilty plea, in December 2016, Gaworski, a substitute teacher, received videos and images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2018 at 9 a.m. the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $500,000.00 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gaworski.

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.