United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the arrest of Douglas Penglase, 37, from Hatboro, Pennsylvania. Penglase faces charges related to the distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.
The arrest took place in Philadelphia, and Penglase made his initial court appearance before Judge Lynne A. Sitarski. The charges stem from a criminal complaint that outlines an investigation initiated on May 27, 2024. On this date, the social media platform Kik reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one of its users was sharing files depicting child pornography.
NCMEC identified 50 files as Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM), featuring prepubescent female minors aged approximately 8-12 years engaged in sexual activities with adults. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the Kik account's contents, revealing nearly 300 CSAM files and over 1,100 messages exchanged between users.
The complaint alleges that Penglase was involved in conversations about CSAM with another Kik user and distributed nine CSAM videos. Further investigation into Penglase's own Kik account uncovered around 780 files containing CSAM.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources.
If convicted, Penglase could face up to 20 years in prison. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Carissimi leading the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.