HARRISBURG-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brendon Rothrock, age 23, of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Nov. 24, 2021, to 20 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for receiving child pornography. The sentence also includes a 15-year term of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in February 2018, Rothrock communicated with another individual through Kik Messenger regarding the sexual exploitation of children. Through those communications, Rothrock encouraged the other individual to sexually assault an 18-month-old girl. The other individual complied and, at Rothrock’s request, sent Rothrock images of the assault. Rothrock also received hundreds of additional images of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli and former Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
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 United States 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
