PITTSBURGH, Pa. ‑ A resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Mark Peiritsch, 35, pleaded guilty on March 10, 2011, to one count before United States District Terrence F. McVerry.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 23, 2009, Peiritsch possessed images and videos on his computer of child pornography.

Judge McVerry scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2011.  The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police, together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mark Peiritsch.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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