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Child porn possession lands city man in prison

A Warren man will spend years in state prison after an online vigilante group tip led to the discovery of child pornography.

Anthony W. Engle, 59, was sentenced Friday by President Judge Maureen Skerda.

Engle was charged in December 2023 by City of Warren police.

Police say they were contacted on Feb. 6, 2023, by a member of the online vigilante group “Predator Poachers, “who claimed to be speaking with Engle while posing as an 11-year-old girl.

“This conversation,” police allege in the affidavit of probable cause, “was sexual in nature and Engle did send multiple pictures of his penis.”

The member of Predator Poachers told police that they revealed to Engle that he was not speaking to an 11-year-old and, per the affidavit, Engle allegedly responded that “he messages a lot of juvenile females and has received photographs from juvenile females before.”

City police subsequently sought and obtained a search warrant for all of Engle’s electronic devices. That warrant was then served at 900 Lincoln Ave., Apt. B. Police say no contact was made and officers forced entry into the apartment, seizing two cell phones and a thumb drive as a result of a search.

Police obtained another warrant to access the contents of those devices, which was approved in July.

A member of the Homeland Security Child Predator Unit said that “well over 100 images” taken from the devices are “considered child pornography due to the nudity, age and sexual interactions” were discovered.

Investigators allege further that one of the children in the videos/images was confirmed to be under 18 via a child porn database.

Skerda said at the outset of the yearning that the sexual abuse of children conviction brings a 15-year registration period as a sexual offender.

Engle’s attorney, Chief Public Defender Kord Kinney acknowledged his client’s four DUIs but noted that he has no felonies on his record and has taken responsibility, understanding the security of his actions.

Engle declined to speak when given the opportunity to do so.

Skerda acknowledged that Engle’s conduct was “not directed at a particular child” but is “supporting a crime” that is “against all community sensibilities.”

She said that she believes the 100 images were not downloaded in one day, leading her to believe this represents a course of conduct.

Skerda then sentenced Engle to 60 to 120 months incarceration with credit for 282 days time served, $2,675 in fines and fees, submission of a DNA sample, sexual offender treatment and the registration period on a count of sexual abuse of children as well as 12 to 24 additional months on a count of criminal use of a communications facility.

The sentence totals 72 to 144 months and will include reentry supervision post-incarceration.

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