Pennsylvania state Senator Michael Folmer arrested for possession of child pornography
Pennsylvania state Senator Michael Folmer was arrested on Tuesday on charges of possessing child pornography by Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office. In a press release, it was revealed that the investigation began as a result of a CyberTip that reported a user using Tumblr to upload child pornography through the application. Following the tip, a probe led the investigators to Folmer's home in Lebanon, PA.
The Office of Attorney General ‘s Child Predator Section, Lebanon City Police Department, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant on Tuesday and found images of child pornography on the 63-year-old politician's phone. He was charged on Tuesday evening with Sexual Abuse of Children, Possession of Child Pornography, and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
“This defendant serves as a state Senator and was entrusted to honor and represent his community in the Pennsylvania Capitol,” said Shapiro said in a statement. “Tonight, our Office arrested Mr. Folmer for possession of child pornography and charged him with Sexual Abuse of Children, Possession of Child Pornography, and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility. I will continue to say it—no one is above the law, no matter what position of power they hold. I will continue to work to protect children and hold those who abuse them accountable.”
“Michael Folmer stated that he had been dealing with some personal problems/issues and that he had received child pornography through his Tumblr blog,” an agent of the attorney general’s office wrote in the court papers.
In February, the social media site, Tumblr, sent a complaint to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had uploaded at least one image that contained suspected child pornography in December 2017, according to court papers provided by the attorney general’s office. Investigators then traced the Tumblr account to Folmer’s email address and home address, they said.
The case will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones. Folmer, a 63-year-old Republican, was elected to a fourth four-year term in November and chairs the Senate State Government Committee, where he has spent considerable time recently working on election reform bills. In a statement late Tuesday, the Senate’s top two Republican leaders said they were shocked to learn of the allegations against Folmer and were removing him of his committee chairmanship. Further action will be taken in the coming days, they said.