Bucks County Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation

PHILADELPHIA - Thomas Silber, 51, of Yardley, PA, was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for knowingly receiving, and attempting to receive, visual depictions, that is, DVD movies, depicting child pornography.  Between February 2007 and October 2010, Silber received 10 DVD movies, using the internet, which were shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce and contained materials that had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce. The producing of these visual depictions involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and such visual depictions were of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  He pleaded guilty on December 18, 2014.

The DVDs that Silber purchased were produced by a company in Canada.  After ordering the DVDs, Silber contacted the videos’ producer and arranged to meet with at least one of the children depicted, who lived in Ukraine. Silber then traveled to Ukraine on multiple occasions to engage in sexual activity with that child.  Locally, Silber was employed as a school bus driver, Little League baseball umpire, and youth wrestling referee.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Stengel ordered five years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and a $1,000 special assessment.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Lower Makefield Township Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.