William S. Welsh, a 30-year-old resident of State College, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. The sentence was handed down on December 11, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Welsh posed as a babysitter throughout 2023 to gain access to nonverbal and autistic toddlers. Miller stated that Welsh later admitted to a friend that he possessed child pornography and had sexually exploited at least one toddler under his care.
Law enforcement agencies executed search warrants on Welsh’s electronic devices and discovered more than 40 videos of child pornography, including violent rape videos involving children younger than five years old. Investigators also found 11 sexually explicit photographs of a toddler taken by Welsh while babysitting on January 15, 2023.
The investigation was conducted by the State College Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.