Haverford man gets probation for string of child porn raps
MEDIA COURTHOUSE >> A 33-yearold Haverford man was given seven years of sex offender probation Monday for possessing child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility, both felonies of the third degree.
Thomas J. Tomeo Jr., of the first block of Woodbine Road in the Havertown section of the township, entered open pleas to both counts in November before Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan. He faced up to 14 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.
Tomeo was charged in October
2017 with 15 counts of disseminating child pornography, 50 counts of possession and 65 counts of criminal use of a communication device following a monthslong investigation by Delaware County detectives and members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Detective Edmond Pisani initiated the investigation after downloading a file on the peer-to-peer file sharing network BitTorrent in July 2017 that contained several videos, mostly of child pornography, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Pisani identified the unique Internet Protocol address on the sole sharing computer and subpoenaed Comcast to provide the subscriber information. The Comcast legal department provided Tomeo’s name and address.
Pisani, Detective Sgt. Kenneth Bellis, detectives Chis Tankelewizc and John Hoffner, Analyst Brian Knowlton and Haverford Police Officer Mark Travaline served a search warrant at Tomeo’s residence Aug. 24.
Tomeo did not admit to searching for child pornography at that time, according to the affidavit, but did say that “he knew if he were to talk to detectives about what he was doing it would get him in more trouble.”
When told that his IP address had been seen with more than
98,000 files of interest, Tomeo also allegedly said, “I don’t have that many files.”
Detectives confiscated several pieces of digital equipment from the home, including a custom built computer and Lenovo laptop. A forensic examination of the computer’s hard drive revealed 250 images of child pornography depicting female children between the ages of 8 and
12 years, according to the affidavit. The laptop also allegedly contained three videos of child pornography.
A keyword search of both devices indicated they had been “extensively used” to search for child pornography, and it appeared Tomeo had been downloading and then deleting files after viewing them, according to the affidavit.
Defense attorney Robert Keller noted Monday that between the search warrant and Tomeo turning himself in to authorities, he began sex offender treatment that has continued to this day. Keller offered letters from a treating psychologist and social worker, both of whom said Tomeo continues to receive counseling and is successfully meeting treatment goals.
“These are things that he has been doing voluntarily and is very diligent about them,” Keller said. “He’s doing whatever he’s supposed to be doing and should be doing to better himself.”
Keller added that Tomeo lost his prior job with Staples following his arrest, but now works for Amazon doing data entry from home and plans to attain his GED later this year.
“Nothing I can do will reverse what I’ve done and nothing I can do will reverse what happened to the victims in this,” he said. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel disgusted by my actions and what they’ve done to the people around me, as well as the people who were involved in the culture that I helped perpetuate. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done.”
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Boggs noted few defendants tend to express empathy for the victims, but said these are heinous crimes that deserve justice. He said he believed that justice could be found in the mitigated guideline range of 12 to 18 months.
Judge Brennan said in handing down the probation sentence that she believes Tomeo has taken responsibility and shown a commitment to treatment, and that she does not think he will be back before the court again.
Tomeo has been out on bail since October 2017 on the condition that he have no contact with children. In addition to sex offender probation, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for 15 years and provide a DNA sample to state police.