Westmoreland County Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Child Porn Production

PITTSBURGH – In a stunning blow against online pedophilia, a Westmoreland County man has been handed a 21-year sentence for producing child pornography. Timothy Eugene Shearer, 55, a former resident of Avonmore, Pa., was sentenced to 252 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

The court heard evidence that from February 2009 to September 2009, and again in or around October 2006, Shearer coerced a minor into participating in sexually explicit acts for the purpose of creating digital videos and images. He was also charged with possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual conduct.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton commended both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police for their pivotal roles in Shearer’s prosecution.

This sentence comes as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation. Since May 2006, this initiative has been instrumental in identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting those who prey on children, leading to the rescue of countless victims.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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