Former teacher sentenced to prison for using school computer to acquire child pornography

PITTSBURGH — A former Butler, Pa., middle school teacher was sentenced on child pornography charges April 11 in federal court to two years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. The sentencing follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jason B. Nolan, 37, of Gibsonia, Pa., was sentenced Friday after being convicted of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to information presented to the court, Nolan, a former middle-school social studies teacher in the South Butler County School District, used a laptop computer taken from the school's library to acquire and possess images of child pornography.

Nolan also used the laptop to communicate online with minors, including a female he believed to be 12 years old, with whom he spoke of meeting to have sex and to whom he sent naked, sexual photographs of himself, taken in his classroom after school hours.

The investigation is part of HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch in the Western District of Pennsylvania.