Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offense

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Bradley Michael Coleman, 39, of Strausstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., to 10 years' imprisonment, 10 years of supervised release, and $35,000 in restitution on a child pornography-related charge.

Coleman was charged by information and entered a plea of guilty to one count of access with intent to view child pornography, on April 22, 2024. After having been previously convicted in Berks County for possessing child pornography, Coleman used digital currency to attempt to purchase access to child sexual abuse material on the Darkweb. Forensic analysis revealed evidence of nearly 900 images of child pornography on Coleman's electronic devices, including images depicting very young victims.

"After having been convicted and imprisoned for this vile behavior once before, Bradley Coleman again sought out horrific images of young children being sexually abused," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "If consumers of child pornography can't or won't stop acquiring it, which only perpetuates the sexual exploitation of child victims, we and our law enforcement partners will gladly step in and stop them."

"HSI's expertise in the evolving cyber currency domain has proven crucial to investigating the exploitation of children by criminals operating online," said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Sara Bay. "Through our outstanding partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, we continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who prey on our children."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca J. Kulik and Priya T. DeSouza.