SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 8, 2022, Jaime Ryan Chorba, age 46, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between June 3, 2016, and November 16, 2020, Chorba received images of child pornography. The indictment also alleges that he possessed images of prepubescent minors under the age of twelve, including images depicting himself with the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
On February 9, 2022, Chorba was arrested by federal agents and appeared before Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr for his arraignment. Chorba was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for February 14, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Roberts 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 60 years of 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 are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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