Jeannette man pleads guilty to 30 child porn counts

A Jeannette man will remain on house arrest for the next three months after he pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of child pornography.

But Curtis House, 75, faces a potentially long prison sentence as a result of his plea.

“You could spend the rest of your life in jail,” said Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger.

House, according to prosecutors, could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison for each of the 30 child pornography counts to which he pleaded guilty. Deputy Attorney General Chuck Washburn said that even if House does not receive a maximum sentence under state guidelines, he could still be ordered to serve 12-to-24 months behind bars for each offense.

Krieger said he will impose House’s sentence in about three months, after county probation officials complete an investigation into his background and other factors that could impact the length of a potential prison term.

House was arrested in March after state agents launched an investigation into allegations that he had downloaded and shared images of child pornography. Agents searched House’s computer and found 30 images, pictures and videos, of children performing sex acts.

According to court records, House admitted to police he downloaded the pornographic images but said he didn’t realize that activity was against the law.