WAYNE COUNTY, PA — Wayne County District Attorney A.G. Howell announced the Honorable Magistrate District Judge Jonathan Dunsinger held all charges for court following a preliminary hearing related to the arrest of Edward James Franklin, 52, of Beach Lake, Berlin Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania.

Franklin was arrested on July 8,  and charged with 11 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, each graded as a felony of the second degree, five counts of Possession of Child Pornography, each graded as a felony of the third degree, nine counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography, each graded as a felony of the second degree, and three counts of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, each graded as a felony of the third degree. 

According to the police criminal complaint affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Paduck from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the investigation began after MeWe, Inc. and Instagram reported that images of apparent child pornography had been uploaded and they reported the incident to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  Overall, NCMEC received six reports. 

Ultimately, a search warrant was served at Franklin’s residence by troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police Northeast Computer Crime Unit and officers from the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  At that time, police seized electronic items from his residence and made contact with him via phone.  Franklin met Trooper Paduck at the PSP barracks in Dunmore and was interviewed.  Another search warrant was executed and his mobile device was seized and searched.  Evidence of child pornography was located on his devices.  

Franklin waived his formal arraignment and a court date is to be set in the future. 

*The filing of criminal charges is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Commonwealth against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the Commonwealth has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant enters a guilty plea to the charges.