Lebanon man indicted on attempted child pornography and online enticement charges

Matthew Toth, Lebanon Daily News
·2 min read

A 26-year-old Lebanon man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly attempting to lure minors and the production of child phonography in 2022, according to officials.

Mason Morey was indicted on one count of attempted online enticement and 14 counts of production of child pornography, the United State's Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday.

The indictment alleges that between Nov. 28 and Dec. 8, Morey used the internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam in a press release. On Dec. 7, Morey also allegedly produced images and videos of child pornography.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations arrested Morey on Dec. 8, on the attempted online enticement charges in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Following an initial appearance in court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. ordered Morey to be detained pending trial on the charge.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime imprisonment, according to officials. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice dealing with a growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Officials said Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

The project is led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

The Department of Human Services operates a 24/7 hotline to report suspected child abuse or concerns about the welfare of a child. ChildLine can be reached at 800-932-0313.

Please check back with the Lebanon Daily News for updates.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon man indicted on attempted child pornography production charges