Ex Villanova Campus Ministry Official Gets Prison For Child Porn

VILLANOVA, PA — A former Villanova University Campus Ministry official was sentenced to prison time and supervised release for recieving child pornogrpahy, federal authorities said.

U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced said Timothy O’Connell, 52, of Drexel Hill, was sentenced Thursday to 78 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and a $5,000 special after pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in June 2019.

In February 2018, O’Connell got images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of pre-pubescent children.

Authorities said the victims depicted in the child pornography included a one-year-old child who had previously been identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in another child abuse investigation.

At the time he committed the crime, O’Connell was employed as Associate Director of Campus Ministry at Villanova University.

On Jan. 3, 2019 O’Connell was indicted for receipt of child pornography, officials said.

He was taken into custody in July 2018 following an investigation into child pornography being discussed by a man named Justyn Perez-Colon.

Through the investigation into Perez-Colon, authorities learned of a person with which Perez-Colon was communicating and sharing child pornography.

Investigators tracked that person's IP address to a Drexel Hill residence, and also learned that the email used by that person was logged into a computer at Villanova University, according to the criminal complaint.

Through that, authorities discovered that it was O'Connell who Perez-Colon was communicating and sharing the child pornography with, the criminal complaint says.

Then on July 10 FBI agents interviewed O'Connell and searched his home, Villanova office, and two vehicles.

During that interview, O'Connell told agents that he in fact was communicating with Perez-Colon and sharing child pornography, the complaint states.

O'Connell told investigators he bought prepaid phones to hide his conduct from his family.