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WILKES-BARRE — A Plains Township man pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse materials during a proceeding in Luzerne County Court on Monday.
James Michael Torbik, 47, of Brader Drive, was arrested by detectives with the district attorney’s office while investigating a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in April 2023.
The cyber tip was 26 videos linked to the social media platform Snapchat that included an email address registered to Torbik, according to court records.
Detectives went to Torbik’s residence April 5 when he consented to an interview.
Torbik claimed he may have come across inappropriate images that were sent to him by random people on social media sites, court records say.
Torbik pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography before Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. Torbik was scheduled for trial this week before the plea agreement was accepted.
Torbik remains free on bail and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27.