PITTSBURGH -A Fayette County resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Michael Pulliam, 36, of Fairchance, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in April 2019, an undercover online investigation revealed that Pulliam was sharing child pornography over the eMule file sharing network. A subsequent search of Pulliam’s residence, and electronic devices, uncovered thousands of images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children and sadistic and masochistic conduct. The Court was further advised that Pulliam has a prior conviction in federal court for possession of child pornography, which triggers a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years in prison.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for October 6, 2020 at 9:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that the defendant remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pulliam.
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