Mark Kandel, Online Enticement of Minors, Pennsylvania 2012

Peckville Man Pleads Guilty to Online Enticement of Minors

A 53-year-old man from Peckville has pleaded guilty to online enticement of minors, a crime that could land him behind bars for up to 19 years.

Mark Kandel, of Peckville, Pennsylvania, was taken into custody by federal agents in December 2012 on five counts of online enticement of a minor.

According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Scranton, Kandel will acknowledge that he engaged in the online enticement of minors and committed the offenses from January 2012 through November 2012.

The agreement, which must be accepted by the court, calls for a period of incarceration of at least 13 years but up to 19 years, to be determined by the Judge at the time of sentencing. As part of the plea agreement, Kandel will also receive a lifetime term of supervised release upon the completion of any term of incarceration and will be subject to the registration and reporting requirements of the Adam Walsh Act.

Kandel's case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the federal government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office, and the Blakely Police Department. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski, who praised the collaborative effort that led to Kandel's arrest and conviction.

As part of the plea agreement, Kandel will be required to register and report his whereabouts as a sex offender, a condition that will remain in effect for the rest of his life. The Adam Walsh Act requires sex offenders to provide law enforcement with detailed information about their address, employment, and other personal details.

U.S. Attorney Peter J. Smith said that the case was a prime example of the federal government's commitment to protecting children from online predators.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/plea-agreement-filed-case-peckville-man-charged-online-enticement-minors