Former Wampum man pleads guilty in federal court to child porn charge
A former resident of Wampum has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced April 23.
Thomas Hyatt-Baney, age 21, pleaded guilty to one count before U.S. District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 25, 2023, from 12:30 to 12:37 p.m., Hyatt-Baney, using his iPhone, produced three video clips depicting the sexual exploitation of a toddler.
Wiegand tentative;y scheduled sentencing for 10 a.m. Aug. 28. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court continued Hyatt-Baney's detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of thegovernment. The Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations conducted theinvestigation that led to the prosecution of Hyatt-Baney.
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 U.S. 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 visitwww.justiwww.justice.gov/pscce.gov/psc.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Former Wampum man pleads guilty in federal court to child porn charge
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