Pennsylvania man sentenced for possession of child pornography

PHILADELPHIA – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for possession of child pornography. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Scott L. McQuirns, 53, of North Wales, Pa., had pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2011. McQuirns was also sentenced to five years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

A forensic examination of Mr. McQuirns' computer hard drive revealed that he had more than 600 images and videos of child pornography. HSI's forensic examiner determined that there were at least 300 videos and approximately a total of 40,000 images. Some of these images depicted pre-pubescent individuals engaged in sexual intercourse, sadistic or masochistic conduct, and other depictions of violence, including bondage.

"Homeland Security Investigations is committed to stop the senseless victimization of our children and today's sentencing underscores that fact," said John P. Kelleghan, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. "While we cannot give back the innocence to those who were abused and exploited, we can make sure that justice is served."

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.