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PLUM BORO MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY |
United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, June 5, 2008, that on June 4, 2008, Michael Scott Witherspoon, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 51 months in prison and 10 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal child pornography laws.
United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on Witherspoon, age 43.
According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller, on August 1, 2006, Witherspoon possessed material that contained child pornography.
Ms. Buchanan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Regional Computer Crimes Task Force, the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Witherspoon.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.