Grand jury indicts Butler man on child sex abuse charges

A Butler County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on child sex abuse charges, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Thomas Romspert, 29, of the city of Butler is the sole defendant in the three-count indictment made public this week, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said.

According to the indictment, Romspert produced material depicting the sexual exploitation of a victim who is under 18 during July, August and September of last year.

The charges relate to sexually explicit photos and video Romspert produced of a teen girl, the Butler Eagle reported in November, when Romspert was arrested in connection to the filming of the girl. He was held in the Butler County jail on $75,000 bond on four charges.

If convicted of all three counts in the federal indictment, Romspert faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. He could also face a fine up to $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting the case with help from federal and local law enforcement agencies.

Homeland Security’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Group conducted the investigation that led to the indictment, in collaboration with the Butler Area School District police and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

This case against Romspert was brought forward and funded as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to find and prosecute criminals who sexually exploit children and identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, go to Justice.gov/psc/.