Abington Township Police Chief John Livingood and the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force announce the arrest of Eric D. MacAfee, 41, of Seaside Heights, NJ, for multiple felony charges of Dissemination of Child Pornography, Sexual Abuse of Children/Child Pornography and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
According to authorities, on July 5th, Abington Township Detective Rick Beaghley was conducting an electronic communications operation on the Internet to identify those possessing and sharing pornography. The investigation located a computer on the eDonkey2000/Kad file sharing network that was specifically configured to anonymously share files with others. When Detective Beaghley directly connected to this computer, he electronically received five sexually explicit video files.
Upon review, the files were determined to depict children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual acts and/or sexually explicit poses.
The investigation traced the computer to MacAfee’s mother’s home in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. She informed detectives that her son was no longer in residence there. MacAfee was located in Seaside Heights, N.J. and a search warrant was executed where his computer was seized.
Forensic examination of the computer found sexually explicit images and videos of child pornography.
Authorities arrested MacAfee on Oct. 4, 2017 and bail was set at $75,000. Magisterial District Judge Robert M. Sobek remanded MacAfee to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 13th before Magisterial District Judge John Kessler.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Brittenburg.
Major Crimes Detectives of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, along with specially trained and sworn detectives from police departments in Montgomery County, routinely work with the ICAC Task Force to protect children from Internet predators by aggressively and proactively investigating Internet crimes that exploit children.