Robert P. Merz, Child Pornography, Pennsylvania 2009
A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a dark world of child pornography.
Robert P. Merz, 45, was convicted of advertising, transporting, receiving and possessing child pornography. The charges were filed in a third superseding indictment on October 23, 2008, following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez in May 2009.
Evidence presented at the trial revealed that Merz's home was searched in February 2007, and investigators discovered hundreds of thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors as young as toddlers. Some of the images depicted violent sexual acts being committed against the victims.
In addition to the images and videos found at his home, investigators discovered that Merz used numerous online technologies to receive and transport the images. He even created and administered an online group dedicated to trading images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. The private online group had members from around the world who were handpicked by Merz.
The online group was identified through Operation "Joint Hammer," the U.S. component of "Operation Koala," an ongoing operation involving 28 countries targeting transnational rings of child pornographers initiated by Europol and Eurojust.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberta Benjamin and Kevin Brenner of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Steve Grocki of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
Merz's prior convictions for the molestation of two young girls on separate occasions made him eligible for the life sentence. The evidence presented at trial established that Merz's crimes were a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our children.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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