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Two Fayette County men caught in child porn sweep

By Josh Krysak jkrysak@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read
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Hall

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Murray

Two Fayette County men were among five men across the state caught in a crackdown by the state attorney general’s office targeting online child pornography.

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane said William Murray Jr., 51, of 6 Milton St., North Union Township, and Thomas Hall, 60, of 340 Balsinger Road, McClellandtown, were two of the suspects charged in the roundup.

According to Kane, state police and agents from the child predator section of the attorney general’s office raided Murray’s home on Tuesday and seized several digital media storage devices.

Kane said that when reviewing the devices, apparent child pornography was discovered.

As a result, Murray was charged before Magisterial District Judge Ronald J. Haggerty Jr. with five counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Kane said that Hall was charged Tuesday with five counts of possession of child pornography, five counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility after a five-month investigation by agents into alleged sharing of child pornography online.

Haggerty placed both suspects in Fayette County Prison on $100,000 straight cash bonds.

Murray will face a preliminary hearing at a later date before Magisterial District Judge Wendy D. Dennis, while Hall faces a preliminary hearing at a later date before Magisterial District Judge Randy S. Abraham.

Kane said charges also were filed against James McNulty, 54, of Philadelphia; Kerry Ritchey, 41, of Hopewell, Bedford County; and Thomas Matthews Jr., 27, of Pottstown, Montgomery County.

Both Fayette County cases will be tried by Deputy Attorney General Anthony Marmo.

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