Four Alleged Child Predators Arrested

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane today announced the arrests of four Pennsylvania men on unrelated charges as part of an ongoing effort to target the online sharing, downloading and distribution of child pornography. Attorney General Kane identified the defendants as:

• Lawrence Schichtel Jr., 53, 319 Fuller St., Sayre, Bradford County;
• William Mattos, 45, 2076 North Williamson Road, Covington, Tioga County;
• Jerry Rhinehart Jr., 29, 690 South Broad St., Apt.15, Jersey Shore, Lycoming County; and
• Robert Pillot Jr., 38, 148 Mohawk Drive, Hughesville, Lycoming County.

According to the criminal complaints for each of the defendants, agents conducting separate, unrelated online investigations found numerous files containing depictions of children engaged in extremely sexually graphic acts and poses, which they later determined were downloaded and shared from each of the defendant's respective computers.

Schichtel
Schichtel was arrested on October 16, and charged with 15 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. A search warrant executed at Schichtel's Fuller Street residence resulted in the seizure of two computers and a DVD-R labeled "preteen."

Agents from the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit will analyze the items seized as part of an ongoing investigation.

Schichtel was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Michael Shaw and held in the Bradford County Prison in lieu of $150,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.

Mattos

Mattos was arrested on October 17, and charged with four counts of distribution of child pornography, four counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. Agents executed a search at Mattos's Tioga County home and seized two desktop computers, one laptop, two tablets, external hard drives and other electronic media, which will be analyzed by agents from the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit as part of a continuing investigation.

Mattos was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge James Carlson and released on $50,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.

Rhinehart
Rhinehart was taken into custody by agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Section on October 21, and charged with 14 counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

A search of Rhinehart's Jersey Shore residence resulted in the seizure of two desktop computers, which will be analyzed as part of an ongoing investigation. Rhinehart was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jerry Lepley and held on $75,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 30.

Pillot
Pillot was arrested on October 21, and charged with 15 counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. He was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jon Kemp and held on $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 25.

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