JOHNSTOWN – A West Decatur man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of production and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The four-count indictment, returned on Sept. 14 and unsealed today, named Jon Osewalt, 28, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, from Feb. 24, 2020 to March 4, 2020, and from Apr. 14, 2020 to June 26, 2020, Osewalt produced images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Further on June 27, 2020 and on Dec. 1, 2020, Osewalt allegedly possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The images were produced using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, according to the indictment.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.
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 defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police 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 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.