Scranton man sentenced to house arrest on child pornography charges
Aug. 16—SCRANTON — A South Scranton man who admitted sharing child pornography over the internet will spend no time in jail.
Brian Martin Rade, 41, faces two years of house arrest and a long period of probation under a sentence handed down in Lackawanna County Court by Judge Michael Barrasse.
He also must register as a sex offender for 25 years.
"I know what I did was wrong and I take full responsibility for my actions," Rade said as he stood before the judge Tuesday.
Rade was arrested Sept. 22 by members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force after an investigation into the online sharing of child pornography.
Investigators accused him of sharing multiple video files of children engaged in sexual acts on the BitTorrent network over an 11-day period in September.
He pleaded guilty March 22 to six counts of disseminating depictions of child sex acts.
Addressing the court prior to sentencing, Rade told Barrasse he is committed to changing his life and becoming a better person.
His attorney, Jason Mattioli, told Barrasse that Rade knew he had a problem with pornography but did not know where to turn. During their first meeting, the attorney said, Rade asked him where he could get help.
Once he started receiving counseling, a light came on and he learned the tools he needed to cope with his addiction, Mattioli said.
"I'm asking the court to take a chance on Brian," Mattioli said.
Barrasse sentenced Rade to six years of restrictive punishment, with two years on house arrest, along with eight years of probation. The judge said the sentence recognized the defendant's acceptance of responsibility and his rehabilitation efforts.
The judge said Rade is to have no computer use unless approved by probation officials and ordered him to continue counseling.
Contact the writer:
dsingleton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9132.
