Avonmore Man Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Avonmore, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of possession and production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The four-count Indictment, returned on May 14 and unsealed today, named Kenneth Bee, 53, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, over a several year period, Bee produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further, in and around September 2022, Bee possessed images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The law provides for a sentence of not less than 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. Other agencies involved include the Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office and the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office.

This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.