A Bethlehem man, Earl Burford, 47, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for distributing child pornography and possessing a firearm as a felon. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher. In addition to the prison term, Burford will serve six years of supervised release and must pay $3,000 in restitution.
Burford was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024. He was later charged by information in March 2025 with distribution of child pornography and possession of a firearm by a felon. In May, he pleaded guilty to both counts and waived prosecution by indictment.
According to court documents, the FBI began investigating in August 2024 after learning that a user on the instant messaging application Kik, under the account name “freakyfam69,” was communicating about child pornography and abuse. The investigation revealed that the Kik account was registered using the email address “goldmusicsoul3@gmail.com.” Law enforcement traced this email address back to Burford through subscriber information and matching IP addresses provided by Kik.
Further investigation using cellular phone records confirmed that Burford subscribed to the IP addresses associated with the illegal activity.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse online. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to find and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and identify victims. More details about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The investigation involved FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency as well as FBI Oklahoma City. Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti prosecuted the case.
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