A Dauphin County man has been sentenced to 97 months in prison for receiving images of child sexual exploitation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dylan Ruppert, aged 29 and formerly from Halifax, Pennsylvania, received his sentence on February 20, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson delivered the sentence.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that on August 11, 2023, law enforcement discovered approximately 65 electronic files containing child pornography on Ruppert's phone during a home search. Additionally, communications were found where Ruppert expressed a desire to groom a child for sexual activity.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources working together to locate and prosecute individuals exploiting children and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Varley handled the prosecution.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
