A Pennsylvania State Police Corporal has been accused of recording a young girl in his bathroom, according to multiple reports. He has since been arrested and faces multiple felony charges related to child pornography.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), "one in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult."
Police confirmed the arrest in a press release on Wednesday and identified the officer as Sean McKenzie, who has been "suspended without pay pending the resolution of the criminal charges against him."
According to CBS affiliate station KDKA, a Dropbox account tied to McKenzie "first alerted" police to the "alleged pornographic material" later found to be in McKenzie's possession.
The station said that police discovered photos and videos on McKenzie's iPhone, as well as on a USB drive that was found in his front pocket after his arrest. The USB drive, reported KDKA, allegedly contained "photos taken from a camera placed in McKenzie's bathroom to record a child in a swimsuit."
McKenzie, who reportedly "admitted to possessing and looking at the pornography," is currently being held at Westmoreland County Prison on a $500,000 bond, said Fox 8 News.
Police stated in their release on Wednesday that McKenzie faces 34 charges in total, 32 of which are related to "sexual abuse of children."
The release confirmed that he is being charged with 21 counts of possession of child pornography, 10 counts of disseminating photos and/or videos depicting children involved in sex acts, one count of "photographing, videotaping, depicting on computer or filming sexual acts" and two counts of "criminal use of communication facility."
"A preliminary hearing has been tentatively set for March 9," said police.
In the state of Pennsylvania, "photographing, filming, or videotaping child pornography" is a second-degree felony that could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, said FindLaw.
"The punishment for the distribution of child pornography or for the viewing, possessing, or control of child pornography depends on whether the defendant has previous convictions for the same offense," FindLaw further explained.
"A first offense is a third-degree felony, which may result in a term of imprisonment for up to five years," the website said, adding that any subsequent offense will be considered a second-degree felony.
According to Pennsylvania law, the "criminal use of a communication facility" is also considered a third-degree felony that could result in either a fine of up to $15,000 or a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
Unfortunately, this isn't unheard of. In May, a veteran LAPD officer was arrested on child pornography charges in October 2020.
The suspect was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of obscene matter depicting a minor, Newsweek reported.
Specialists from the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) sexual assault hotline are available 24/7 via phone (1 (800) 656-4673) and online chat. Additional support from the group is also accessible via the mobile app.
