Former Pennsylvania state Rep. Jesse White (D) has been charged with possession of child pornography and receipt and distribution of child pornography after federal investigators allegedly found more than 100 files containing child sexual abuse material on electronic devices seized from his home, according to court documents.
The charges were announced following an FBI investigation that led agents to White’s residence in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Authorities allege they recovered more than 100 illicit files from several laptops and hard drives during the search. Court documents cited by multiple news outlets state the material allegedly depicted children between the ages of 7 and 15 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators allege White admitted to obtaining child sexual abuse material through the dark web. The complaint states he used programs including qBittorrent, Telegram and the Tor browser, which prosecutors allege were used to access and conceal online activity related to the investigation.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received cybertip reports involving suspected child sexual abuse material. One report involved an image allegedly depicting a young male child in a shower. Investigators allege the photograph was taken in January 2019 using a cellphone belonging to White.
A second cybertip involved another image allegedly depicting a nude male child. According to the FBI affidavit, investigators reviewed the evidence as part of the broader federal investigation that ultimately resulted in the charges against the former lawmaker.
The affidavit also notes that White has two minor sons. Federal authorities have not publicly identified any of the children referenced in the investigation, and the criminal complaint does not publicly establish the identities of the children depicted in the reported images.
White served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2007 through 2015, representing the state’s 46th District.
The case has also drawn renewed attention to White’s previous legal and professional troubles. According to KDKA-TV, White surrendered his law license in 2017 after allegations that he misappropriated more than $100,000 from clients to support a gambling addiction. Criminal charges connected to those allegations were later dropped.
KDKA-TV also reported that White was sued by his mother in 2015 after she accused him of impersonating her to obtain a credit card and accumulate approximately $27,000 in debt. The station separately reported that its own investigation found White allegedly used false online identities to criticize political opponents, per the Western Journal.
Federal prosecutors have not announced a trial date. White remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The allegations outlined in the criminal complaint have not been tested before a jury, and prosecutors will bear the burden of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, White could face significant federal prison time under laws governing the possession, receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have not released additional information regarding the ongoing investigation or whether further charges could be filed.
