Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
A former Neshaminy High School wrestling coach pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Thomas Scott Porter, 51, of the Hatboro section of Upper Moreland, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of children/possession of child pornography and will serve up to 23 months behind bars. Porter is required to undergo a sexually violent predator evaluation and be placed under sex offender supervision. Five years of probation will follow the 51-year-old’s release from prison, according to the Norristown Times Herald newspaper.
Advertisements
In October 2012, Homeland Security investigators were tipped five images of child pornography were uploaded from the email address “freestyler149@aim.com.” Investigators then identified the owner of the e-mail address as Thomas Porter who accessed account multiple times from an address in Hatboro, authorities said.
On Friday, June 7, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau was informed by the Department of Homeland Security Child Exploitation Unit’s Philadelphia Field Office that a computer located in Hatboro was engaging in the dissemination of child pornography, according to the district attorney’s office.
Investigators contacted Porter and met with him in person. A press release said he admitted to being the owner of freestyler149@aim.com account and had viewed at least five images of child pornography. Porter’s desktop and laptop computers were then searched and it was then discovered he had over 50 images of child pornography in his possession, officials said.
Advertisements
Porter previously worked as an assistant wrestling coach at Neshaminy High School and a youth wrestling coach at Southeastern Pennsylvania Wrestling Team. The Neshaminy School terminated Porter’s employment shortly after his August arrest.
