A 66-year-old man from Freedom, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to a little over six years in federal prison following his conviction on charges of receiving material showing sexual exploitation of a minor. According to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Mark Kriss will also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after his time behind bars.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak handed down the sentence yesterday, which includes registering as a sex offender under Pennsylvania law and a provision for Kriss to pay $3,000 in restitution to the minor victim, whose photographs he received on May 22, 2021. The images depicted the 14-year-old minor in sexually explicit situations. Kriss had made contact with the minor through an adult dating website and admitted to not only receiving the photographs but also meeting the minor at a local motel with intentions that were later confirmed to be predatory.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted the case against Kriss. The conviction results from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Northern Regional Police Department. Their combined efforts brought to light the extent of Kriss's involvement in the exploitation of the minor.
United States Attorney Olshan praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Regional Police Department for their work in the investigation that led to Kriss's successful prosecution.
