Conshohocken man admits possessing child porn
NORRISTOWN >> A Conshohocken man who admitted to possessing and disseminating child pornography is awaiting his fate from a judge.
Daniel Sturm, 32, of the 300 block of Washington Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to charges of sexual abuse of children, possessing and disseminating child pornography, in connection with incidents that occurred between February and April 2019.
Judge Todd D. Eisenberg deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Sturm, who will undergo drug, alcohol and sexually violent predator assessments. Sturm, who remains free on bail pending a sentencing hearing, potentially faces decades in prison on the charges.
As conditions of bail, Eisenberg ordered that Sturm have no contact with children and no Internet use.
Regardless the sentence he eventually receives,
Sturm faces a 25-year requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Sturm also will be placed under sex offender supervision while serving his sentence, which could require treatment and counseling.
The charges were brought against Sturm by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The investigation began in February 2019, when agents with the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, who were conducting online examinations to identify those possessing and sharing child pornography, located a computer engaged in such activity and subsequently linked it to Sturm, according to the criminal complaint.
State agents were able to link to Sturm’s computer and initially located about 100 images of children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual acts or poses, according to the arrest affidavit.
On April 3, 2019, state agents showed up at Sturm’s residence with a search warrant and seized numerous electronic devices, according to court papers. During a forensic examination of the devices, state agents were able to recover 550 images of suspected child pornography, according to the arrest affidavit.
State Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella prosecuted the case.