JOHNSTOWN – A Clearfield woman pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Amanda Nichelle Downs, 30, pleaded guilty to counts one and two of the indictment before U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from December of 2018 to Sept. 1, 2019, Downs produced images of a minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Haines scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2022. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, 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, Homeland Security Investigations, Clearfield Borough Police Department, and the Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office Agency/Agentconducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Downs.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nation-wide 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 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.
