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Kenneth Lee Schmidt, 46, of East Earl Township, pleaded guilty to 49 felony charges, including possession and dissemination of child pornography, solicitation of minors, and corruption of minors, prosecutors said.
Schmidt’s state sentence will run concurrently with the 35-year federal sentence he is already serving for related crimes, which also includes 10 years of supervised release, authorities added. The sentence was handed down by Judge Merrill Spahn on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
The case began in June 2020 when the East Earl Township Police Department received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as this reporter previously covered at WGAL. Investigators traced explicit material to Schmidt’s home on Terrie Lane and a Sadsbury Township restaurant where he worked.
A search of Schmidt’s residence uncovered hundreds of explicit images and videos, many involving children as young as 13, on his phone and desktop computer, police said.
Prosecutors revealed that Schmidt posed as a teenage boy named "Ben" on Instagram to manipulate minors into sending him explicit content. Schmidt allegedly described his collection as so vast he could "scroll through them for the rest of my life and never look at the same image twice."
The charges were filed by East Earl Township Police Patrol Officer Gary Sensenig, and Assistant District Attorney Janie Swinehart prosecuted the case. Prosecutors said they worked closely with federal authorities to ensure Schmidt faced justice for all charges.
During sentencing, Judge Spahn told Schmidt he “deserves every second” of his sentence while urging him to use his time in prison for rehabilitation. Schmidt, who remains in federal custody, declined to speak at the hearing.
Anyone with information about or suspicions of child abuse is encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit their cyber tipline.
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