Jersey Shore, Pa. — One of two men arrested in a local child predator sting is a convicted child predator. “Thousands” of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files were found on his devices, police say.
From Thursday, Aug. 20, through Monday, Aug. 24, state police of the Northeast Computer Crime Task Force (NECCTF) conducted a child predator sting in Lycoming County. The operation aimed to identify offenders involved in the possession, distribution, and production of CSAM, as well as locate victims of child exploitation in Lycoming County.
During this operation, NECCTF executed two residential search warrants in Jersey Shore following the investigation of five National Center Missing and Exploited Children cybertips.
The search warrants led to the arrests of Jeffrey Scott Spong, 50, of Park Road, and Jacob Scott Hollick, 33, of Allegheny Street. One additional arrest is still pending, state police say. The wanted individual has not been identified at this time.
‘Sexually violent predator’ allegedly reoffends
In 2004, Spong was previously convicted in Lycoming County for indecent assault of someone younger than 13 and corruption of minors. He pleaded guilty to both charges. A few years later, he also pleaded guilty to failing to keep up with his Megan’s Law registration requirements. Spong is classified as a “SVP,” sexually violent predator in his Megan’s Law report.
State police began investigating two cybertips earlier this months regarding alleged CSAM uploaded from an IP address later linked to Spong’s residence.
Police executed a search warrant at Spong’s Park Road home on Aug. 24, during which they seized four cell phones, three of which were linked to the CSAM cybertips.
Corporal Andrew Petros said that while scrolling through the phones, he saw “a multitude of artificially generated CSAM files…along with thousands of images depicting child erotica.”
When state police interviewed Spong, he said “he prefers to look at CSAM that depicts male children being spanked,” according to an affidavit penned by Petros. He had been regularly viewing CSAM for “five or six years,” he allegedly told Petros.
Alleged pedophile arrested on his birthday
In tandem with the investigation of Spong, state police also investigated two cybertips for an individual uploading 41 CSAM images, later identified as Hollick.
While police were able to link the uploads back to Hollick’s phone, they noted the images were uploaded using wifi at the Jersey Shore YMCA. On Aug. 19, Corporal Justin Rosboschil contacted the facility’s executive director, who confirmed Hollick was an active member there, and that members are provided access to the YMCA’s wifi.
Police executed the search warrant for Hollick’s residence on his birthday, Aug. 24, and interviewed him there, as well.
When asked if he thought any CSAM was on his cell phone, police say Hollick replied there would “probably” be some in his phone’s photo gallery.
Hollick allegedly went on to confess to downloading CSAM online, and that there would be about 20 files of it on his phone. He had found the images while “searching for young children” online, Rosboschil reported.
When police looked at the Hollick’s phone, they reported finding four CSAM files.
Charges and bail
Spong received 13 felony counts of CSAM possession, and was denied bail due to being classified as a sexually violent predator.
Hollick was charged with four felony counts each of CSAM possession, CSAM dissemination, and criminal use of a cell phone. He is jailed in the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $250,000.
Both of the men’s preliminary hearings are currently set for Oct. 7.
For this operation, NECCTF — as members of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force — collaborated with agents from the FBI offices in Philadelphia and Williamsport, intelligence agents in Delaware County, police officers from Lycoming Regional Police Department, and troopers from PSP Montoursville.
The results of the sting were made possible through collaboration with the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office, a release from the state police said.
Spong docket sheet
Hollick docket sheet
