Jesse White, age 48, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on July 22.
United States Attorney Brian D. Miller said the complaint alleges that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received reports via their CyberTipline on June 19 which were flagged as child pornography and White was identified as the producer of such files. The statement said that on July 21, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a federal search warrant at White’s residence and seized multiple computers and hard drives. A preliminary on-site review allegedly found one hard drive containing numerous files depicting minors between seven to fifteen years old engaged in sexually explicit activity. Agents also reportedly found approximately 100 additional files depicting child pornography on a separate drive.
The FBI investigated this case, with Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby prosecuting. The statement said this case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. “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,” according to information provided about the program.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these crimes is thirty years’ imprisonment along with supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Sentencing will be determined by a judge after consideration of applicable statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
“Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court,” stated officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania serves about 3.2 million residents across its region covering over twenty-one thousand square miles; it handles prosecutions of federal crimes as well as civil litigation for the government while offering victim assistance programs through facilities located in Harrisburg, Scranton, Williamsport, and Wilkes-Barre; it operates under the United States Department of Justice. It also promotes community safety through initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods alongside re-entry services designed to reduce recidivism, according to the official website.