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AG announces arrests of 6 suspected child predators (MUGSHOTS)

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced the recent arrests of six men on unrelated charges as part of ongoing efforts to target the online sharing, downloading and distribution of child pornography by suspected child predators.

Kane has made cyber safety, specifically protecting kids from online predators, a major priority for her administration.

Beyond the distribution of pornography, the Attorney General's Child Predator Section has made more than a dozen arrests of individuals seeking out children on the Internet, including one as young as 5 years old.

Internet safety tips are available on the "Operation Safe Surf" section of the Attorney General's website.

The Office of Attorney General's Child Predator Section recently unveiled a new tool to report internet predators. Anonymous tips can be sent directly from a cell phone by texting PAKIDS + YOUR TIP to 847411 or through an online complaint form. Suspected Internet predators can also be reported by calling the Child Predator Hotline at 1-800-385-1044.

Kane said the six recent suspected child predator arrests are:

  • Thomas Cunningham, 38, Lower Southampton, Bucks County;
  • Jeffery Lenda, 20, Erie, Erie County;
  • William Warnick, 41, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County;
  • Albert Aldham, 74, Hawley, Pike County;
  • Justin Patrick Conway, 24, Hermitage, Mercer County;
  • David Mason, 28, East Norriton, Montgomery County.

Thomas Cunningham

Agents conducting an online investigation discovered numerous files containing suspected child pornography allegedly downloaded to Cunningham's computer, Kane said.

Upon executing a search warrant, agents seized his computer, which had multiple files of suspected child pornography, according to Kane. These items were examined at the scene by the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit.

Cunningham is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Cunningham was preliminarily arraigned and remanded to Bucks County Prison after failing to post $250,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Jeffrey Lenda

Kane said Lenda was located following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that an individual was storing suspected child pornography on Microsoft Sky Drive.

He consented to a search of his electronic devices, including an Apple iPad and an external hard drive. A preview of those devices revealed several files of apparent child pornography, according to Kane.

Lenda is charged with eight counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:45 p.m, Nov. 3.

William Warnick

According to the criminal complaint, agents conducting an online investigation found numerous online files that were allegedly shared from an IP address associated with Warnick's residence, depicting children under the age of 18 posing naked in sexually suggestive positions or engaging in extremely sexual graphic acts.

Following a search warrant at Warnick's residence, agents from the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit conducted a preliminary analysis of his computer and other media storage devices and discovered more than 150 video files, which contain suspected child pornography. A complete analysis of Warnick's computer is part of an ongoing investigation.

Kane said Warnick is charged with 22 counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Albert Aldham

The charges state that agents, who were conducting an online investigation, identified a computer on a peer-to-peer network making several media files -- believed to depict child pornography -- available for download. The computer's IP address was later identified as serving Aldham's Hemlock Farms residence.

Kane said agents executed a search warrant at Aldham's home and seized a laptop computer, which was previewed by the Office of Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit and found to contain dozens of images and videos of suspected child pornography.

Aldham is charged with 35 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Justin Patrick Conway

According to the criminal complaint, agents successfully downloaded several files, which depicted children under the age of 18 engaged in sexually graphic acts and poses.

Investigators were able to track the computer's IP address and identified Conway's computer as the source for the graphic files, according to the complaint.

Kane said a search of Conway's Hermitage apartment resulted in the seizure of a computer and multiple media storage devices, which upon initial viewing, were found to contain more than 100 files of suspected child pornography, including images of children as young as 6 years old engaged in graphic sexual poses.

Conway is charged with four counts of distribution of child pornography, nine counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

David Mason

According to the criminal complaint, Mason used a peer-to-peer network in order to make files -- containing prepubescent children engaged in graphic sexual acts -- available for download. Agents conducting an undercover investigation successfully downloaded one of those files and identified Mason as the source through the computer's IP address.

A search of Mason's East Norriton residence resulted in the seizure of a computer. Agents from the Office of Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit previewed the seized items and located more than 20 video and image files containing suspected child pornography, Kane said.

Mason was arrested on Oct. 15 and charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

He was held in the Montgomery County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29.

WPXI

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