JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA – In a grim reminder of the online predator menace, Ellis D. Passmore Jr., 46, from Mahaffey, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The sentence also includes ten years of supervised release.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the stiff penalty yesterday in Johnstown. Passmore’s fall from grace began when the FBI’s Innocent Images Operations Unit intercepted a sinister lead concerning an individual in Washington State who exploited children online.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the FBI identified Passmore as a recipient of the illicit images and launched an investigation. On October 5, 2015, agents executed a knock-and-talk at Passmore’s residence. He confessed to viewing child pornography on his computer, leading to a search warrant for his electronic devices. The forensic examination yielded 1,182 videos depicting prepubescent children being sexually exploited, including scenes of bondage.
This case is a cornerstone of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat the burgeoning crisis of child sexual exploitation and abuse online. Assistant United States Attorneys Shanicka L. Kennedy and Jessica Lieber Smolar led the prosecution against Passmore on behalf of the government.
The investigation leading to Passmore’s conviction was spearheaded by the FBI. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, the public is encouraged to visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Related Federal Cases
- Ridgeway Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Pornography with a Toddler · Washington
- Pa. Man Pleaded Guilty to Child Pornography Possession · Washington
- Bickel Gets 35 Years for Sickening Child Pornography · Washington
- WaPA Man Sentenced for Child Sex Exploitation · Washington
- Pittsburgh Man Gets 2 Years for Bomb Threat Hoax · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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