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York County man accused of using fake Facebook accounts to solicit sexual photos

HARRISBURG, PA — Agents from the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section have arrested a Hanover man accused of sending child pornograph...

HARRISBURG, PA -- Agents from the Office of Attorney General's Child Predator Section have arrested a Hanover man accused of sending child pornography to minors and using fictitious Facebook accounts to entice minors to send him sexual images.

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane's office today announced the arrest of Alfons Joseph Augustine Jr., 44. He was arrested as part of an investigation that resulted from several cybertips submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

According to a criminal complaint, Augustine used the fictitious Facebook accounts to primarily target males in their early teens, and to entice them to send sexual images via private message. He used a series of aliases, including Ryan Quinn, Brayden Beisser, Tyler Callahan, Ethan Bartulio, Amber Crooks, Emily Hopkins and Matt Bryce, according to investigators.

Agents with the Office of Attorney General's Child Predator Section and the Penn Township Police Department executed a search warrant at Augustine's residence, 4 Mountain Ash Drive, Hanover, York County, and located multiple electronic devices.

The Office of Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit previewed the devices and located numerous images of apparent child pornography.

Augustine is charged with 65 counts of distribution of child pornography, 30 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of criminal use of a communication facility and two counts each of solicitation of sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors. He was arraigned Thursday on the charges and remanded to the York County Prison. Bail was set at $250,000.
Any parent who believes their child had contact with a person using one of the aliases listed above is encouraged to contact the Office of Attorney General's Child Predator Helpline at 1-800-385-1044.

>Augustine will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones of the Office of Attorney General's Child Predator Section.

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