Pittston Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Receiving Child Pornography

Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a 43-year old Pittston man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison today by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie for receiving child pornography during 2005 through 2007.

Carlson stated that Ronald Stevens previously admitted to downloading from his computer sexually explicit images of minors.

Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 4, 2007, as a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pittston Township Police. Stevens pleaded guilty to the offense in April 2008.

Judge Vanaskie also ordered that Stevens be placed on supervised release for 15 years after serving his prison sentence. Stevens must also pay a $100 special assessment and a $2,000 fine.

Carlson noted that the investigation and prosecution of Stevens 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.

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