Philly Man Facing Gun Case Now Charged With Child Porn

April 1, 2025

A Philadelphia man already facing trial on firearms charges has been charged in a child pornography case after detectives found explicit images and videos on his cellphone, authorities said.

Jermaine Bantum, 36, was preliminarily arraigned last week on charges of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility. He is being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail.

The investigation began during the summer of 2024 when a Bucks County Detective, who was working with the Bucks County Gun Violence Task Force, interviewed Bantum in Philadelphia. The interview was part of an investigation that led to Bantum’s gun case-related arrest in Middletown Township, police said.

During that arrest, detectives seized Bantum’s iPhone 12 Pro Max, and Bantum gave them permission to search it, police said.

Data was extracted from the device in November, and detectives said they found suspected child pornography, police said.

A search warrant was then obtained to further examine the phone.

The search revealed 77 files of suspected child pornography, including images and videos featuring teen boys, police said.

Bantum was previously arrested last fall on more than 100 charges, including selling or transferring a firearm to an ineligible person, lying on firearms paperwork, and dealing in the proceeds of an unlawful act. He is scheduled to stand trial on those charges in April.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.