Pottstown man indicted on child porn charges

SCRANTON » A Pottstown man was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of producing child pornography.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Omar Santiago-Muniz, 27, of Pottstown, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of production of child pornography, online enticement of a minor, and providing obscene material to a minor.

The indictment alleges that Santiago-Muniz committed the offenses between June 2017 and July 21, 2017, in Schuylkill County and elsewhere, according to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler. The indictment also alleges that Santiago-Muniz used a cell phone and the internet to commit the crimes.

The charges stem from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. There is also a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for the production of child pornography charge, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for the online enticement charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs.

For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.