Two Pennsylvania Men Indicted On Charges Related To Conspiracy To Produce Child Pornography, And Online Enticement, Distribution And Possession Of Child Pornography

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kevin Eric Abbott, age 39, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Rashaad Khalid Che Taylor, age 28, of Milford, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury for multiple criminal charges related to child exploitation, including an overarching conspiracy to produce child pornography, online enticement, both distribution and possession of child pornography, and, with regard to Taylor, the commission of a felony sex offense by an individual required to register as a sex offender.

The Indictment in this case alleges that the two men met and conspired, over the course of at least a year and a half, to entice children to produce of child pornography at their behest. Both men engaged in the enticement and attempted enticement of children online. Abbott is alleged to have distributed child pornography on multiple occasions. Additionally, both men were in possession of images and video of pre-pubescent children engaged in sex acts when they were encountered by law enforcement. Taylor is also alleged to have committed these felony sex offenses while being a registered as a sex offender for his underlying 2016 felony sex offense convictions.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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