Erie Man Convicted of Child Pornography and Obscenity Crimes

ERIE, PA—A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania was convicted after a jury trial in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Jeremy Noyes, 33, of the Erie County Prison, Erie, Pennsylvania, was convicted of one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of transportation of obscene material after a jury trial before United States District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin.

After a six-day trial, the jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning a verdict on all counts. Noyes, a former LECOM student, possessed, received, and transported numerous images of child pornography on two computers in his home. The investigation began when the FBI received an anonymous tip regarding Noyes' activity. Based on the information received, the FBI searched Noyes' home and seized two computers containing numerous images of child pornography and obscene material.

Launched in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Judge McLaughlin scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2011. The law provides for a total sentence of 55 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Noyes.