Erie man charged with sexual exploitation of minors in federal court

(WJET/WFXP) – An Erie resident has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Friday that James Michael Hendricks, a 44-year-old Erie man, has been charged with two counts of violating federal child sexual exploitation laws.

The indictment states that between May 8, 2021, and May 16, 2022, Hendricks received images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit content.

It also states that in or about June 2022, he possessed and accessed to view child sexual abuse material.

The minimum sentence is five years in prison and the maximum sentence is 40 years in prison and/or a fine of $500,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.