A Lackawanna man has been sentenced to five years in prison for distributing child pornography, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. Maxwell H. Gawley, 34, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson said that in August 2022, Gawley had sexually explicit conversations with a 14-year-old male over Snapchat. During these conversations, Gawley requested photos from the minor and discussed the possibility of sexual contact, which the minor complied with. Gawley also told the victim that he “might even have to make a road trip ... [come] see you if we were dating.” In September 2022, Gawley engaged in another sexually explicit conversation on Snapchat and shared images and videos of child pornography over the internet.
The investigation leading to Gawley's sentencing was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, New York State Police, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
