Washington, Pa., Man Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison For Coercion And Enticement Of A Minor And Possession Of Child Pornography

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Washington, Pa., man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for coercing and enticing a minor and possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania David J. Hickton, and Special Agent in Charge John Kelleghan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Philadelphia, announced today.

Jeffrey W. Herschell, 54, pleaded guilty in January before U.S. District Judge David Cercone. According to a statement of facts entered into the record by the government and agreed to by the defendant, Herschell sent money to the Philippines in February 2010 for a live, online sex show that included a 12-year-old minor female engaging in sexual activity. Herschell also admitted to possessing child pornography videos at his Pennsylvania residence.

This case was investigated by ICE-HSI Pittsburgh and the ICE-HSI Attache’s Office in the Philippines with significant assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation (Philippines) and the Philippine National Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Bonnie L. Kane of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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 rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.