SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Barry Ritter, Jr., age 55, of Milton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 9, 2021, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 84 months of imprisonment and a 10-year term of supervised release, for distributing and possessing child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Ritter pled guilty to the receipt and distribution of child pornography between March 2018 to July 2018. Ritter used online forums to obtain and re-distribute child pornography on at least several dozen occasions, and admitted to viewing child pornography for approximately 10 years. A search warrant conducted at his residence yielded electronic devices containing dozens of photographs and videos of child pornography. Ritter also was held accountable for possessing material involving prepubescent minors and the abuse of infants.
Judge Mariani also ordered Ritter to pay $3,000 in restitution to victims of child pornography and $5,100 in assessments. Ritter has remained in custody since his February 5, 2019 arrest.
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.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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