Brandon Christopher Heck, a 25-year-old resident of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for the production of child pornography. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that between July 26 and July 27, 2023, Heck communicated with a seven-year-old child using the Likee application. During this period, he posed as a 14-year-old boy and directed the child to take and send sexually explicit images of herself. A forensic review of Heck’s cell phone showed that he not only produced child pornography but also distributed it through Telegram during 2024.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson.
“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,” according to the statement from officials.
Project Safe Childhood is a coordinated effort involving multiple levels of law enforcement aimed at identifying offenders who exploit children online.
