Pennsylvania school bus driver sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for child pornography
PHILADELPHIA — A Yardley, Pennsylvania, school bus driver was sentenced April 9, to 14 years in federal prison for buying child pornography DVDs following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Thomas Silber pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2014, to knowingly receiving, and attempting to receive DVD movies depicting child pornography. Between February 2007 and October 2010, Silber received 10 DVD movies using the internet, which were shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce since they were produced by a company in Canada. The DVDs depict minors engaging in sexually explicit situations.
After ordering the DVDs, Silber contacted the videos’ producer and arranged to meet with at least one of the children abused in the video who lived in Ukraine. Silber then traveled to Ukraine on multiple occasions to engage in sexual activity with that child. Locally, Silber was employed as a school bus driver, Little League baseball umpire and youth wrestling referee.
“The lengths this pedophile went through to commit this heinous crime is astonishing,” said John Kelleghan, HSI Philadelphia special agent in charge. “HSI will continue to pursue criminals who abuse our most vulnerable members of society.”
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Stengel ordered five years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and a $1,000 special assessment.
The case was investigated by HSI along with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Lower Makefield Township Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.
This investigation was conducted under 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 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.
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. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. 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.
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