North Charleroi man pleads guilty to child pornography charges
A North Charleroi man accused of possessing large quantities of child pornography pleaded guilty Wednesday in Washington County Court of Common Pleas.
John Eckert III, 61, pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of child pornography before Judge Brandon Neuman and will be sentenced at 10 a.m. Oct. 13.
Investigators with the state Attorney General’s office said they found a large collection of child pornography in Eckert’s home when they searched it May 7, 2021. The office began investigating several weeks earlier when they found suspicious images linked to Eckert’s home internet service on a network in which users share files.
As part of his open plea, Eckert will be assessed to determine whether he is a sexually violent predator. He will be required to register with the state police Megan’s Law list of sexual offenders, although the amount of time he will have to be registered will depend on that assessment.
Eckert had been charged with 35 counts of child pornography and five additional felony charges of criminal use of a communication facility. The remaining charges were withdrawn as part of the plea deal. He remains free on $250,000 cash bond until his sentencing.