Child pornography case heads to Somerset County court

Patrick Buchnowski, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·1 min read

BOSWELL, Pa. – A Boswell-area man will head to county court on child pornography charges, accused of spreading an online file depicting a young child being sexually abused.

Declan Ray Heider, 21, of the 2000 block of Klines Mill Road, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Susan Mankamyer, of Boswell, moving the case to Somerset County court.

The state police Computer Crime Unit said a “cyber tip” from the social media company Snapchat alerted them to a video that was uploaded and distributed online in 2021.

According to a complaint affidavit, with a state Office of Attorney General subpoena, investigators were able to trace the file to an IP address linked to Heider’s Klines Mill Road address.

A search warrant executed for the property led troopers to seize a desktop computer as potential evidence. One file allegedly depicted a girl between the ages of 5 and 8 years old, the affidavit said.

Troopers charged Heider with five counts of child pornography and one count each of disseminating child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.

Heider is being held in Somerset County Jail.