AJ News

Martin C. Carlson, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that Stephen Brickel, 64, of Clarks Summit was sentenced today to five years in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik for possessing child pornography from 2005 through July 11, 2008.

According to Carlson, Brickel previously admitted to possessing sexually explicit images of minors on his computer and on videos.

Brickel was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2008, as a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, European Law Enforcement, and Scranton police. Brickel pleaded guilty to the offense in September.

Judge Kosik also ordered that Brickel be placed on supervised release for five years after serving his prison sentence. Brickel must also pay a $100 special assessment. The case was prosecuted by Francis P. Sempa, assistant U.S. Attorney.

This case was brought as part of "Project Safet Childhood," a national initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.