ERIE, Pa. — Aaron Ray McClelland, a 29-year-old former resident of Franklin, Pennsylvania, has entered a guilty plea for his involvement in the receipt and possession of child exploitation material. United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan disclosed the plea, which took place before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter on March 19, 2024.
The court received information indicating that between October 2020 and July 2021, McClelland was involved in receiving images that depicted prepubescent minors in sexually explicit conduct. A plea agreement, as part of McClelland’s guilty plea, has established a recommended sentence of seven years in federal prison, followed by a decade of supervised release.
Sentencing has been set for July 22, 2024, where McClelland could face a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment, in addition to a possible $250,000 fine. The final sentence will consider the severity of the crime and McClelland’s prior criminal history, guided by the federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is representing the government in this prosecution, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office.
