LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — A Luzerne County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted for distributing child pornography.
The Attorney General's office launched two investigations into Joseph J. Davis of Edwardsville in 2014 and 2015.
Investigators say Davis accessed child pornography through an online file-sharing network.
They believe he had much more on his personal computer, but it was encrypted with a password he would not provide.
He was arrested in late 2015 and charged with two counts of distributing child pornography and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
After years of appeals, Davis was found guilty on all four counts in March.
The Attorney General's office tells Newswatch 16 Davis has two prior convictions for child pornography at the federal level.
Because of the third conviction in March, prosecutors say Davis was eligible for a life sentence.
On Friday, Judge Tina Gartley sentenced Davis to life in prison plus 14-28 months and 3 years probation.
The prosecuting attorney tells Newswatch 16 while there may be examples of a convicted felon receiving a life sentence for Child Pornography Charges in Pennsylvania, she is not familiar with any case where an individual met the standard to be sentenced to life.