West Scranton man found with modified sex doll of a toddler sentenced

David Singleton, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read
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Sep. 14—SCRANTON — A West Scranton man who investigators say had a modified doll of a toddler used for his sexual gratification at his home when he was arrested will spend up to 15 years in state prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.

Harold Robert Wheary, 52, was sentenced Thursday by Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle to five to 15 years behind bars plus three years of probation after pleading guilty to 50 counts of child pornography.

Wheary was arrested in April 2022 after an investigation by the state attorney general's office, whose agents found more than 200 videos with sexually explicit content depicting girls under 18 on external storage devices when they executed a search warrant at his Archbald Street home.

He entered a guilty plea Sept. 22.

Prior to sentencing, Wheary apologized to the court, his family and his friends and said he accepts full responsibility for his actions.

He told Moyle he has been trying his best to work on his mental health, including meeting with a behavioral therapist while incarcerated in Lackawanna County Prison.

Wheary said he also understands possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children is not a victimless crime, which Moyle told him was important for him to acknowledge.

"I believe you are sincere in your genuine desire to turn it around," Moyle said.

Wheary's attorney, Doug Vanston, called a three- to 10-year prison term recommended for his client appropriate. He told Moyle that Wheary would follow through with any recommendations made by the court.

Deputy Attorney General Angela Sperazza told Moyle the commonwealth was asking for a state prison sentence, followed by a three-year probationary term.

According to a criminal complaint, Wheary told investigators he had viewed child sexual abuse material "all his life" even though he knew it was illegal. Agents found a modified doll of a toddler on Wheary's couch that he told them he purchased for $200 and used to gratify himself, the complaint said.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9132.