Thursday, September 24, 2020

McKeesport Man Charged with Possessing Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct

 PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of McKeesport, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal law relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on September 15, 2020 and unsealed today, names Joseph Teasdale, age 42, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about March 5, 2020, Teasdale possessed images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not reached the age of 12.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a maximum term of lifetime supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The defendant remains under home detention pending the resolution of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

No comments: