Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

BOSTON – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for a child sexual exploitation offense.

David Tweed, 46, of Kulpmont, Penn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of a supervised release. In August of 2022, Tweed was arrested on one count of sexual exploitation of a child and was detained following an initial appearance in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

“David Tweed’s conduct was horrific and deserving of the severe sentence that the Court imposed. Mr. Tweed sought out, groomed and then repeatedly sexually abused and exploited this very young and vulnerable girl. His criminal and depraved behavior has finally been stopped and his victim is finally free of his abuse. I applaud the victim’s bravery and the support and dedication of her family to see this case through,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The United States Attorney’s Office with our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate, prosecute and hold predators like Mr. Tweed accountable.”

“David Tweed preyed on a child, first exploiting her online and later abusing her in person. This is a horrific example of how online threats become real danger,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI is working around the clock to keep kids safe online by bringing predators like Tweed to justice.”

On various dates between September 2021 and December 2021, Tweed sexually exploited a 12 to 13 year old girl that he met online. During this time, Tweed repeatedly persuaded the victim to send sexual pictures and video of herself and to perform lewd acts on video calls. 

On more than one occasion, Tweed drove from Pennsylvania to places in New England where he met with and sexually assaulted the victim.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement. Significant assistance was provided by the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office and Monson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.