HARRISBURG. Pa – A Carlisle man is one of two suspects arrested in the past week by agents from the Attorney General’s Office on possession of child pornography charges.
Benjamin A. Schaeffer, 39, was arrested last Thursday after an undercover investigation on a file-sharing network led investigators to his 18 Donegal Drive home.
According to the criminal complaint, on February 26, state agents and Carlisle police executed a search warrant at the home. Several computers were recovered on scene and a forensic analysis of the devices was completed by the Office of Attorney General’s Computer Forensics Unit on April 5.
Based on the evidence recovered, Schaeffer was charged with 15 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
Schaeffer waived his preliminary hearing. A formal arraignment is tentatively scheduled for June 23.
In a separate investigation Micheal Gan, 38, of Philadelphia was arrested following an online investigation that focused on the sharing of suspected child pornography on peer-to-peer networks.
During the investigation, agents identified a computer making child pornography images available on a file-sharing network. The IP address associated with the computer was linked to a home on Barnett Street in Philadelphia.
Agents executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered multiple computers. The Attorney General’s Computer Forensics Unit completed a preliminary analysis on the devices and located numerous files indicative of child pornography.
Gans is charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, 50 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
He was released from custody after posting 10 percent of his $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is tentatively set for April 21.
Suspected child predators can be reported to the Office of Attorney General by calling the Child Predator Hotline at 1-800-385-1044. Individuals who suspect an online predator or child sexual abuse can also send an anonymous tip to the office by texting PAKIDS + YOUR TIP to 847411.
