Dwayne Cavanaugh, 56, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was found guilty after a three-day trial for receiving and possessing child pornography. The conviction was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion presided over the case.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cavanaugh had child pornography in his possession on January 21, 2024. At the time of the offense, Cavanaugh was under supervised release due to a previous 2010 conviction for receipt of child pornography from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. U.S. Probation Officers discovered an unmonitored cell phone containing child pornography in Cavanaugh’s vehicle.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Dukes and Christian Haugsby prosecuted 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/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..”
Under federal law, this offense carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by the judge after reviewing federal sentencing statutes and guidelines.
