From staff reports
A former resident of Franklin pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of receipt and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Wednesday.
Aaron Ray McClelland, 29, pleaded guilty to one count before U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, in and around October 2020 and July 2021, McClelland received images depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to the release.
According to the release, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police and Indiana County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McClelland, according to the release.
This case, the release said, 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 U.S. 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, the release said.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
