HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a Philadelphia man has been charged with 200 felony counts related to the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material, following a joint investigation by the Office of Attorney General and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to authorities, John S. Stachecki, 55, of Philadelphia, was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse of children after investigators recovered hundreds of illicit images and videos, many of which allegedly depicted infants and toddlers. Stachecki was arraigned on the charges, and bail was set at $1 million.
The investigation revealed that Stachecki was allegedly a member of numerous encrypted online groups dedicated to the exchange of child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement officials said the networks were invitation-only and accessible through encryption keys designed to conceal user identities.
Attorney General Sunday described the investigation as an example of the persistent efforts by law enforcement to combat online child exploitation. “We cannot overstate the depths of depravity that exist online, as evidenced by this investigation that uncovered an invitation-only network used to share and view child sexual abuse material,” Sunday said. “I commend our partners at Homeland Security for helping to identify the defendant, who was an active member of these groups, with a deviant fixation on very young children.”
Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia, commended the coordinated effort that led to the arrest. “The heartbreaking evidence unearthed in this case stands as a stark reminder that children, no matter where they live, are vulnerable,” Owens said. “This case is a testament to the strength of our partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. By pooling resources and expertise, we successfully identified and dismantled an encrypted network where offenders traded abhorrent images of children.”
Investigators executed a search warrant at Stachecki’s residence in the 1900 block of Chestnut Street last week, where they reportedly seized hundreds of images and videos.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella of the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section.
All charges are allegations, and a suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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