Philadelphia man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography after Kik investigation
Anthony Joseph Carr-Pierce faces up to six years in prison for material found on his phone and shared via Telegram.
By Aaron Foster ·
A 40-year-old Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possessing child pornography, a case that originated from an online report and ended in a Montgomery County courtroom. Anthony Joseph Carr-Pierce, who resides on Shawmont Avenue, entered his plea before Judge Todd D. Eisenberg for incidents that took place between September and October 2024.
The investigation began in September 2024 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received reports that a user on the Kik messaging platform uploaded digital files containing child sexual abuse material. Court documents state the videos showed females as young as two years old in sexual poses. Detectives in Montgomery County received the data and traced the internet address of the Kik user to Carr-Pierce.
Police seized Carr-Pierce's cellphone during the investigation. An analysis of the device revealed 114 images and four videos depicting child sexual abuse material, according to a criminal complaint filed by detectives Joshua Keenan and Michael Crescitelli. The officers also reviewed his communications and found a conversation on the Telegram application dated September 29, 2024, where Carr-Pierce contacted another user with the intent to share or swap the material.
In the complaint, Keenan and Crescitelli wrote that Carr-Pierce requested the option to swap or share the files but declined when told he would need to pay for the multimedia. The detectives noted that Carr-Pierce initiated the conversation on Telegram specifically to search for an individual to engage in this exchange.
Carr-Pierce now faces a maximum prison sentence of three to six years. Judge Eisenberg has deferred sentencing to allow officials to complete a background investigation report. The defendant will also undergo mental health and psychosexual evaluations. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board will evaluate him to determine if he meets the criteria for classification as a sexually violent predator.
Those classified as predators face stricter restrictions on parole or probation, including mandatory counseling and community notification regarding their housing. Regardless of the final sentence, Carr-Pierce must report his address to state police for 15 years under Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act. He remains in the county jail without bail while awaiting his sentencing hearing.
