Pennsylvania state Sen. Michael Folmer, R-Lebanon, presides over a committee bill meeting addressing education funding for charter schools Sunday, June 29, 2014.
Bradley C Bower / AP
Former state Senator Mike Folmer pleads guilty to child porn possession charges
The former state Senator was arrested five months ago after investigators found images of child pornography on his cell phone, according to the attorney general’s office.
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Katie Meyer
Bradley C Bower / AP
Pennsylvania state Sen. Michael Folmer, R-Lebanon, presides over a committee bill meeting addressing education funding for charter schools Sunday, June 29, 2014.
(Harrisburg) — A former high-ranking state senator pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of child pornography possession and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.
The state attorney general’s office said each charge carries a penalty of 12 to 24 months in prison.
Mike Folmer is still free on bail, and scheduled for sentencing on May 26th.
The Republican had represented Lebanon and parts of Dauphin and York Counties since 2006, and was one of the more powerful members of his chamber.
He resigned shortly after his initial arrest five months ago.
The attorney general’s office said it opened an investigation into Folmer after getting a tip from blogging platform Tumblr.
An account traced to him had uploaded an image showing a sexual act between a female minor and adult male. The office said police found two other images on Folmer’s cell phone.
The original criminal complaint said he told law enforcement the account belonged to him and said he “had been dealing with some personal problems.”
A spokesman for the attorney general said while there is “no assumption” that Folmer may be able to serve the sentences for any of his four charges concurrently, the possibility “was discussed in court.”
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