Carlson stated that Jeremy Kelley, age 25, is charged with committing the offenses during February through May 2008.

Kelley’s arrest stems from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Scranton and Baltimore, and Scranton Police. Kelley appeared today in federal court in Scranton and was arraigned by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas M. Blewitt, who ordered that Kelley be detained in prison while awaiting trial.

Carlson noted that the investigation and prosecution of Kelley are part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Carlson noted that Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

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An Indictment or Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Grand Jury and/or United States Attorney against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the United States has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant has pled guilty to the charges.