Blue Ridge Summit man indicted by federal grand jury for child pornography
Damion Phillip Gress was indicted by a federal grand jury for offenses involving the exploitation of minors.
Ted CzechA federal grand jury indicted a Blue Ridge Summit man on charges involving the exploitation of children last week in Harrisburg, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Damion Phillip Gress, 24, persuaded and used a minor to produce images of child pornography between August 2015 and October 2016 with respect to two separate victims.
Gress also allegedly received images of child pornography during that time period and possessed images of child pornography on Aug. 12, 2019.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police.
If Gress is found guilty of using a minor to produce child pornography he could face a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Receipt of child pornography carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence, a $250,000 fine and a period of supervised release after imprisonment.
Possession of child pornography has a maximum 10-year prison term, a $250,000 fine and a period of supervised release after imprisonment.
"Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness
of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs," the release states. "For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant."
Ted Czech is a multi-platform crime/emergency journalist with The York Daily Record. He can be reached at tczech@gannett.com, at 717-771-2033 or on Twitter at @TedCzechYDR