A former Pittsfield man serving prison time in the Huntingdon state prison man faces 130 second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of children – child sexual abuse material.

Charges were filed Wednesday by the State Police at Warren against Zackery R. Antoniotti, 35. The incidents, according to online court docket information, date back to Jan. 10, 2023. A third-degree felony charge of communication facility has also been filed. A preliminary hearing will be held before Magisterial District Judge Todd Woodin.

The investigation began on Feb. 3, 2023, when an arrest warrant was issued for Antoniotti related to a Megan’s Law investigation. Antoniotti was taken into custody on Feb. 3, according to the Affidavit of Probable Cause. On Feb. 4, 2023, Antoniotti’s roommate appeared at the State Police at Warren barracks with a cell phone that the roommate said belonged to Antoniotti. The phone had been purchased from Walmart in the weeks before Antoniotti’s arrest. The roommate had the password for the phone. Antoniotti had asked the roommate to contact a friend and the roommate’s mother regarding Antoniotti’s arrest.

“(The roommate) stated he used the device to make the requested calls and discovered disturbing images saved to the device,” the affidavit states. “(The roommate) stated he observed what he described as ‘child pornography’ saved to Antoniotti’s device as well as naked photography of Antoniotti. (The roommate) advised (the roommate’s mother) of the discovery of the disturbing images on Antoniotti’s device.”

THe roommate provided a written statement and gave police the device. A preliminary search of the device was completed, and troopers report finding several items in a “recently deleted” folder that were set to expire. The images, several of which allegedly depicted child sex abuse material, were restored. Police then investigated the phone’s subscriber information through Tracfone Wireless, which provided an email address and birth date that matched Antoniotti’s. The ZIP code matched Antoniotti’s Pittsfield ZIP code. Troopers then contacted a federal Homeland Security agent who had worked with local police on other cases. The agent came to the State Police at Warren barracks to take custody of Antoniotti’s phone to have the data extracted. The agent took the phone to the St. Mary’s Police Department for analysis and returned with two USB thumb drives with the data extracted from the phone. On Aug. 23, 2023, troopers traveled to the Walmart store in Cranberry, Pa., and received copies of receipts from the day Antoniotti allegedly purchased the cell phone. Video surveillance reportedly showed Antoniotti at the counter purchasing the phone and then exiting the store.

“After reviewing the data extracted from Antoniotti’s cellular phone, a number of images, depicting child sexual abuse material, were observed,” the affidavit states. “The images appeared to be both saved to the device as well as accessible through the application ‘KIK.’ ‘KIK’ is a known sharing application of child sexual abuse material. I recommended this case be reviewed by the Warren County District Attorney’s Office for recommendations regarding prosecution.”

The district attorney’s office reviewed 431 images that were tagged as suspected child sexual abuse material. On Aug. 5, troopers met with Tammy Bimber of the Warren County Child Advocacy Program to review the 431 images. That review reduced the number of suspected images to 130 images of child sex abuse.

“Several of the photographs were ‘untagged’ due to poor image quality and Bimber was unable to offer an opinion,” the affidavit states. “All duplicate images were attempted to be removed as well. Bimber advised it appeared the remaining images (130) depicted prepubescent to pubescent children, under the age of 18. Seventy-nine of the images (child sexual abuse material) depicted indecent contact. Fifty-one of the images (child sexual abuse material) depicted nudity.”

Antoniotti was sentenced to 30 to 60 months incarceration in state prison, $2,700 in fines and fees, credit for 148 days time served and mental health priority in state prison on a count of failure to register with the Pennsylvania State Police by Judge Maureen Skerda in July 2023. That charge was the start of the process that resulted in the current charges filed by the State Police. Antoniotti is on the registry for child pornography (2016) and indecent assault (2010) convictions out of Mercer County.