HARRISBURG, PA — Two northeastern Pennsylvania men were sentenced this week to lengthy state prison terms after pleading guilty to felony charges involving the possession of child sexual abuse material, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced.
Gregory Lee Yoder, 36, of Schuylkill County, was sentenced to nine to 20 years in state prison, while Edward Sabol, of Luzerne County, received a sentence of one and a half to five years. Both men must comply with lifetime sex offender conditions upon release.
“I am hopeful that these prison sentences send a message that possessing child sexual abuse material is far from a victimless crime, and will be treated as the abusive and dehumanizing criminal conduct that it is,” Sunday said. “These sentences ensure that the defendants will spend time behind bars and will be required to follow strict orders regarding their whereabouts and activities upon release.”
Investigators discovered Yoder’s offenses during a search of his home last year, where agents found numerous files depicting child sexual abuse. They also located methamphetamine and related paraphernalia near children present in the residence. Yoder pleaded guilty to felony counts of sexual abuse of children and endangering the welfare of children.
Sabol’s case began after a February search of his North Street home uncovered multiple files containing child sexual abuse material.
Both prosecutions were handled by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella of the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section.
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