Damion Phillip Gress, Child Exploitation, Pennsylvania 2023

A Franklin County man has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in the exploitation of minors.

HARRISBURG – Damion Phillip Gress, age 25, of Franklin County, was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for offenses involving the exploitation of minors. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson on January 1, 2023.

Gress pleaded guilty to persuading and using a minor to produce images of child pornography between August 2015 and October 2016. He also produced images of child pornography in July 2016 involving a second victim. In addition, Gress received images of child pornography and possessed thousands of images of child pornography on August 12, 2019.

Gress was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $54,000 to his victims in the form of compensation for the harm caused by their exploitation.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.

Damion Phillip Gress, 25, of Franklin County, was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment for offenses involving the exploitation of minors. Gress pleaded guilty to persuading and using a minor to produce images of child pornography, producing images of child pornography involving a second victim, and possessing thousands of images of child pornography.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. Gress was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $54,000 to his victims.

Gress was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Related Federal Cases