JOHNSTOWN – A married couple from Clearfield have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of production and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The five-count indictment, returned on May 19, named Jackson Curtis Martin, III, 44, and Amanda Michelle Downs, 28, both of Clearfield.
According to the indictment presented to the court, from December of 2018 to Sept. 1, 2019, Martin and Downs produced images of a minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Further, from Jan. 8, 2019 to Nov. 24, 2019, Martin and Downs allegedly possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. “One of the highest priorities of my office is to protect the safety and well-being of every child in western Pennsylvania, “said Brady.
“I want to thank Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers for his partnership. District Attorney Sayers and I are fully committed to investigating and prosecuting all sexual predators, abusers and pornographers who prey upon our children, and we will use all of the tools at our disposal to put such predators in prison.”
“I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney for prosecuting these individuals on the charges of child pornography production and possession,” said Sayers.
“This referral was made because the federal mandatory periods of incarceration for child pornography production and possession are more significant than here at the state level, and could potentially result in a life sentence.
“Simultaneously, I will be moving forward with the charges of rape and statutory sexual assault in Clearfield County. This relationship with U.S. Attorney Brady and his staff is an invaluable asset to the people of Clearfield County.”
The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than 30 years and up to 80 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both for Martin, and a maximum sentence of not less than 30 years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both for Downs.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Clearfield Borough Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May of 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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
