Erie, Pa. – Mark Joseph Bretz, a former Erie resident now aged 28, faced federal charges after pleading guilty to violating federal laws concerning the sexual exploitation of children, according to United States Attorney Scott W. Brady.
Bretz has been charged with three counts and is currently under the jurisdiction of United States District Judge David S. Cercone. The court was informed that Bretz obtained computer images showing minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and used interstate communications to extort victims into providing him with further explicit material.
This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice since May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute such offenders while identifying and rescuing victims. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Cercone has set sentencing for Bretz on October 7, 2019, at 3:00 p.m., with the law allowing a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. The actual sentence will depend on the severity of the offenses and any prior criminal history.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is handling the prosecution for the government. The investigation leading to Bretz’s prosecution was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Erie County Detectives Bureau, and Aurora, Colorado Police Department.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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