CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Note: The video is from November 2019.
A retired Air Force Brigadier General will serve five years of probation but avoided any jail time after a sentencing hearing Tuesday in Cumberland County Court.
Frank Sullivan, 69, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after being arrested in November 2019 and charged by the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
In addition to his probation, Sullivan must register as a sex offender for 15 years, according to court records.
He was charged after a search of his Mechanicsburg home in 2019 led to the discovery of child pornography on his home computer and laptop. He was initially charged with 15 second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of children and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
A search of the computers uncovered thousands of search queries for "preteen" images, as well as pictures of children "engaged in very graphic sexual acts," Shapiro in 2019, when Sullivan's arrest was announced.
Sullivan is the former executive director of the Pennsylvania Military Community Enhancement Commission and a decorated veteran with tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“General Sullivan’s alleged actions disgrace his work and besmirch the Pennsylvania National Guard, an organization that has bravely and dutifully come to the aid of Pennsylvanians whenever they have been called,” said Shapiro. “I’ve said it time and time again — nobody is above the law. My Office will investigate and prosecute anyone who harms Pennsylvanians, no matter what positions of power they may hold.”
Shapiro said agents of his office discovered Sullivan’s alleged penchant for viewing images of preteen children during an investigation on a file sharing network.