Bridgeville man pleads guilty to federal child porn charges

A Bridgeville man pleaded guilty in federal court to child pornography charges.

Paul Chretien, 66, pleaded guilty to charges of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to two counts before U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.

The court was advised of two instances of this behavior in connection with the guilty plea.

On Sept. 26, 2018, Chretien distributed images in computer graphic files that depicted the sexual exploitation of a minor.

On Feb. 6, 2019, he possessed images in computer graphic files which involved minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the children were under 12 years old.

Conti scheduled sentencing for July 8. The law provides for a sentence of five to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan will prosecute the case.

This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.