Items written by Shea Rhodes

• Former Harriton High School Teacher Sentenced to 30 Years for Soliciting Nude Photos from Teens

  Date: September 24, 2024

  On September 11, Jeremy Schobel, 33, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography and five counts of manufacturing child pornography. Before his arrest, Schobel was a former teacher at … Read more about Former Harriton High School Teacher Sentenced to 30 Years for Soliciting Nude Photos from Teens »

• Police Charge Allentown Man in Child Exploitation and Trafficking Investigation

  Date: September 19, 2024

  On September 4, Tamaqua Police arrested Joshua Mickey Martel, 31, in connection with a child rape, human trafficking, and sexual assault investigation. He now faces charges in two separate incidents involving preteen girls. In the first incident, on April 23, … Read more about Police Charge Allentown Man in Child Exploitation and Trafficking Investigation »

• Former Backpage.com Owners and Officials Sentenced

  Date: September 5, 2024

  On August 28, three former officials of Backpage.com, the former website notorious for facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking, were sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona for offenses arising from their promotion of prostitution and associated … Read more about Former Backpage.com Owners and Officials Sentenced »

• Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 23 Years for Sex Trafficking Operation

  Date: August 23, 2024

  On July 31, Kevin L. Smith, 29, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 23 years of incarceration after he pleaded guilty to charges relating to his operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. This case was … Read more about Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 23 Years for Sex Trafficking Operation »

• Central PA Journalist Pleads Guilty to Federal Enticement of a Minor Charge

  Date: August 23, 2024

  On August 6, former State College journalist and youth soccer coach Christopher Morelli, 54, of Spring Twp., pleaded guilty to a federal charge of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. Morelli is accused of engaging in this … Read more about Central PA Journalist Pleads Guilty to Federal Enticement of a Minor Charge »

• Nazareth Emergency Management Official and Volunteer Firefighter Arrested in Sex Trafficking Investigation

  Date: August 21, 2024

  On July 22, 2024, Mark A. Morella Jr., 38, of Nazareth, was arrested in connection to a local and federal sex trafficking sting. Morella is charged with criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than … Read more about Nazareth Emergency Management Official and Volunteer Firefighter Arrested in Sex Trafficking Investigation »

• “Not a victimless crime:” Dauphin County Targets the Demand for Sex Trafficking with Recent Convictions for Patronizing Prostitutes

  Date: July 27, 2024

  Over the past several months, Dauphin County and several cooperating agencies have made laudable efforts to proactively reduce sex trafficking in our Commonwealth by targeting the demand that fuels the industry: sex buyers. On June 25, Leonard Long, 39, of … Read more about “Not a victimless crime:” Dauphin County Targets the Demand for Sex Trafficking with Recent Convictions for Patronizing Prostitutes »

• Dauphin County Man Sentenced to Up to 30 Years for Attempting to Buy Sex from a Minor

  Date: July 18, 2024

  On July 1, Jeffrey Pettinato, 62, was sentenced to up to 30 years of incarceration for his attempt to arrange a sexual encounter with who he believed to be a 15-year-old girl in Dauphin County. Pettinato’s sentence was imposed following … Read more about Dauphin County Man Sentenced to Up to 30 Years for Attempting to Buy Sex from a Minor »

• Man Sentenced in First Blair County Human Trafficking Jury Trial

  Date: July 11, 2024

  On June 28, 2024, Donald Hetrick, 40, of Alexandria, PA, was sentenced to a total of 21 to 47 years of incarceration following his conviction at Blair County’s first human trafficking jury trial. Hetrick was sentenced to 10 to 20 … Read more about Man Sentenced in First Blair County Human Trafficking Jury Trial »

• Reading Police Arrest Three Women in “Prostitution Sting”

  Date: July 11, 2024

  On June 19, 2024, the Reading police arrested three women in an undercover “prostitution detail” in downtown Reading. The women’s ages range from 27 to 40, and all are from Berks County or a surrounding county. Each woman was separately … Read more about Reading Police Arrest Three Women in “Prostitution Sting” »