Lackawanna County Woman Indicted For Production And Distribution Of Child Pornography

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mykayliah Hevener, age 25, of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 23, 2024, for production and distribution of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in 2023, Hevener both produced and distributed child sexual abuse material in the form of images and videos of herself engaging in sexual contact with a toddler.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as 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.usdoj.gov/psc.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments, Complaints, and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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