Five men were recently sentenced in Lancaster County Court for child pornography offenses and other crimes involving children.
The men each pleaded guilty and were sentenced at separate hearings. Their crimes were unrelated.
Assistant District Attorney Janie Swinehart prosecuted the cases with charges being filed by: East Lampeter Township, Elizabethtown, Lancaster city, Millersville Borough and Susquehanna Regional police departments.
- Jim Walsh, a repeat offender was sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison for having child pornography and for sending a lewd photo of himself to a child in request for a photo of the child.
Walsh, 75, must register his whereabouts with police, under Megan’s Law, for the rest of his life.
Susquehanna Regional police Officer Michael Kimes filed charges.
- Dan Vasquez will serve two to five years in prison, plus five years of probation, for disseminating child pornography and for having pornographic photos of pre-teenagers.
Vasquez, 40, must register his whereabouts for 25 years, as part of sentence.
Lancaster city police Detective Richard Mendez filed charges.
- Dakota Brandt was sentenced to 1½ to 5 years in prison for sharing child pornography and for having pornographic videos of pre-teenagers.
Brandt, 26, must register his whereabouts with police for 25 years.
Elizabethtown police Officer Matthew Shuey filed charges.
- Benjamin Vang was sentenced to 6 to 23 months of incarceration – with the first six months to be served on house-arrest and the remainder, if paroled, under parole conditions.
Vang, 23, was charged with having photos of videos (some of pre-teenagers) and with sending clothes to a child, he met online, and asking her to wear them for him.
Vang must register his whereabouts for the next 25 years.
East Lampeter Township police Detective Preston Gentzler filed charges.
- Wayne Rhodes was sentenced to 6 to 23 months incarceration (with the first six months on house arrest), followed by two years of probation.
Rhodes, 49, pleaded to sending a lewd photo of himself to a child and asking the child to perform sexual acts.
Rhodes must register his whereabouts with police for the next 25 years.
Millersville Borough police Sgt. Jason Scott filed charges.
(Pictured, clockwise from top left: Walsh, Vasquez, Brandt, Vang. A photo of Rhodes was not available.)
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright