HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a repeat sex offender from Philadelphia was sentenced to 18 to 36 years for possessing child sexual abuse material while he was on parole from a prior conviction.
Craig Coleman is facing additional charges — human trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and other offenses — for crimes he committed earlier this year while on bail.
On Thursday, a Philadelphia County Judge sentenced Coleman regarding his guilty plea to felony sexual abuse of children for possessing child sexual abuse material. The judge deemed Coleman a “sexually violent predator” who must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
”This predator is a potential danger to every child in his proximity,” Attorney General Sunday said. “He has proven time and time again that he will not be deterred from targeting and harming children — even while on parole or bail conditions. One of my core missions as Attorney General is to protect children, and our Child Predator Section will continue with proactive investigations to stop offenders.”
The Office of Attorney General charged Coleman in 2023 with child sexual abuse material — at the time, he was on parole for a 2017 conviction of manufacturing child pornography and statutory sexual assault.
In February — while out on bail from the 2023 charges — Coleman contacted a girl online, and, after becoming aware of her age, repeatedly sexually abused her. He paid the girl and recorded some of the conduct, then tried to prevent her from cooperating with police.
In that case, he is also charged with unlawful contact with a minor, manufacturing child pornography, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, and intimidation of witnesses or victims. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 22.
This case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella of the Child Predator Section. Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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