A 51-year-old Scranton man has been sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison after library staff discovered he had used a public computer to search for and view child sexual abuse material. John Dudkiewicz, of downtown Scranton, pleaded guilty to 40 felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, and at the time of the offense he was already under federal supervision stemming from a prior, similar case.
Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher announced the sentence, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune. The investigation began when library staff reported Dudkiewicz’s activity. He had attempted to access child sexual abuse material using public computers at the Scranton Public Library, per the district attorney's office. Library staff reported that he used a public computer to search for and view sexually explicit images and videos involving young children, and documented more than 40 searches in the computer's search history during his visit.
Library Records and Surveillance Led Investigators to Him
Library records and surveillance footage helped identify Dudkiewicz as the person using the computer, according to the Times-Tribune's reporting. Dudkiewicz was charged in May, and he pleaded guilty to the 40 felony counts in July. He later admitted to officers that he had conducted the searches and viewed images of children at the library, per the criminal complaint cited by the outlet.
The complaint also states that Dudkiewicz told officers he had been trying to contact children online and that he was on federal probation for similar conduct at the time — a detail separately confirmed by Fox56, which reported he was under federal supervision for a prior offense. He also said he was heading back to the library to view additional images, according to the same complaint.
Sexually Violent Predator Designation Carries Lifetime Registration
Dudkiewicz has been designated a sexually violent predator and must register as a sex offender for life under Pennsylvania's Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Under state law, intentionally viewing or knowingly possessing child sexual abuse material is a crime, and a first offense under the relevant statute is generally classified as a third-degree felony, while a second or subsequent offense is generally a second-degree felony, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The statute specifically defines intentional viewing as deliberate, purposeful and voluntary conduct, excluding anything accidental or inadvertent.
Gallagher thanked the Scranton Public Library and its employees for recognizing the conduct, preserving evidence and contacting law enforcement. “Our highest priority is working every day to eradicate the possession, use and dissemination of child pornography and to identify, investigate and prosecute pedophiles in our community,” Gallagher said, according to the Times-Tribune. He added that people who prey on children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and held accountable.
Other Library Computer Cases Across the Country
Dudkiewicz's case echoes similar prosecutions tied to public library computers elsewhere. In Chicago, 51-year-old David Rideout was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was caught viewing child sexual abuse material on a tablet at a Chicago Public Library branch, according to CWBChicago. Rideout pleaded guilty to two counts involving victims younger than 13 and received consecutive 10-year sentences on each count.
In Utah, 55-year-old Adrian Mathias Perea was arrested and now faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after suspected activity was linked to the Salt Lake City Public Library network, per ABC4. Closer to home, Chad Allen Shelatz, also 51, was sentenced to 20 to 50 years in state prison for a second conviction involving child sexual abuse material, according to PennLive, which reported on the Linesville man's case out of Crawford County.
