Lori Hilbourn, 30, of East Lampeter Township, PA, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for manufacturing child pornography and distribution and possession of pornographic images that depicted a child.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl ordered 15 years of supervised release and a $400 special assessment. 

Hilbourn pleaded guilty, on February 27, 2015, to two counts of manufacturing and one count each of distributing and possessing child pornography.  Hilbourn admitted that, beginning in December 2013 and continuing for several months, she took sexually explicit photographs of a 9 yr old child at the request of her then-boyfriend, George Wakeley, Jr.  Using her cell phone, Hilbourn then texted the photos to Wakeley, who posted them on the Internet to his Flickr account to share with other users who wanted child pornography.  On April 1, 2014, a search of Hilbourn’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant revealed that she still possessed 15 nude and sexually explicit images of the child.

Hilbourn must register as a sex offender.  Wakely pleaded guilty to charges of receipt; distribution; and possession of child pornography.  He was sentenced on September 2, 2015 to six years in prison.

The case was investigated by the East Lampeter Township Police Department with assistance from the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.