PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 37-year-old Philadelphia man with a prior federal child pornography conviction has been arrested on new charges alleging he received and attempted to receive child sexual abuse material through online group chats, according to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania identified the defendant as Mark Misiano. He was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and ordered detained in federal custody pending indictment and trial.
According to the criminal complaint, Misiano allegedly participated in group chats where child sexual abuse material was shared. Prosecutors allege he joined one such group July 19 in which members exchanged numerous images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants.
On July 22, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Misiano’s Philadelphia residence and seized multiple electronic devices, according to prosecutors.
Investigators subsequently reviewed a messaging application and allegedly discovered videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent boys, many of whom appeared to be younger than 7, according to the complaint. Federal authorities allege some of the children depicted in videos and other images found on the device were infants.
The complaint also details Misiano’s previous federal conviction. In 2016, he was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of possession of child pornography and sentenced to nine months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, according to prosecutors. His supervised release was terminated early in 2024.
If convicted in the new case, Misiano faces enhanced penalties because of the prior conviction, including a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He could also face supervised release ranging from five years to life.
The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sima Kazmir and Branwen McNabb O’Donnell.
All suspects, arrestees, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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