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WILKES-BARRE — An attorney advocating for a low-end sentence for his client on charges of possessing child sexual abuse materials blamed QAnon, a political movement that centers on conspiracy theories.
David Sciandra, 37, of Market Street, Pittston, was charged by Luzerne County detectives in August 2022, after a search warrant was served at his residence based on a Cyber tip involving two video files involving girls.
Sciandra initially denied he downloaded child sexual abuse materials and claimed he would open various files sent to him and some of the images were child pornography, according to the criminal complaint.
A forensic analysis of Sciandra’s cellular phone uncovered a vault file where the materials were saved, the complaint says.
Sciandra’s attorney, Michael I. Butera, said his client was “obsessed with QAnon,” the political movement of conspiracy theorists, and was self-investigating websites that harbored child pornography.
“He went online to try to find proof,” Butera said during Sciandra’s sentencing hearing before Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. on Thursday. “Unfortunately, he was misguided and misinformed by conspiracy theories.”
Butera described Sciandra as a “contributing member of society for his entire life,” in his bid for a probationary sentence.
Assistant District Attorney John Carroll argued for a state prison sentence indicating Sciandra has downloaded images of child sexual abuse materials for nearly a decade.
Sklarosky sentenced Sciandra to six-to-24 months at the county correctional facility on 25 counts of child pornography. Sciandra pled guilty to the charges May 8.
Sciandra must also serve five years probation and register his address as a sex offender for 25 years under the state’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
originally posted by: Thoughtful2
a reply to: CrazyFox
We just need to follow Bill Gates latest book to see what's up next. Sniffing stations and monthly sniffs for children at school.