Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Pittsburgh attorney sentenced following child pornography conviction

PHILADELPHIA - An attorney from Pittsburgh was sentenced on Friday to 50 months in prison for possessing child pornography following an investigation by the U.S. Immigration & Customs and Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

James C. Kuhn, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joy Flowers Conti. The judge also ordered Kuhn to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. ICE-HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at Kuhn's Pittsburgh law office in October 2007. One of Kuhn's seized computers contained between 150 and 300 images of child pornography.

ICE-HSI Special Agent in Charge John P. Kelleghan stated: "This sentencing serves as a stern reminder of the consequences of sexually exploiting innocent children. ICE will use every investigative tool at our disposal to bring sexual predators to justice."

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable.

Launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 12,800 individuals through Operation Predator. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

-- ICE --

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