WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A local man is facing serious legal challenges after being arraigned Wednesday on multiple felony charges related to the possession of child pornography. Michael Allen Ritter, 37, had previously entered a no contest plea for theft from a charity event connected to the September 11 Memorial Ride. Following a recent preliminary hearing, District Judge William Solomon determined that Ritter would stand trial on the new charges.
Ritter has been charged with six counts of possessing child sexual abuse material. Investigators reportedly located five of these images during an initial examination of his cell phone linked to the earlier theft case. A subsequent search warrant issued on April 3 allowed police to extract additional data from the device, leading to the discovery of yet another image categorized as child pornography.
During the hearing, Lycoming County Detective Loretta Badger described one of the newly identified images as a close-up of an underage girl’s anatomy. Other recovered images featured prepubescent girls, some appearing with an adult male and others depicted without their tops. One of the subjects in these images was identified as wearing braces.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Ritter’s residence, where he lives with his wife and five children. The encounter was documented by body cameras worn by law enforcement. Badger further asserted that the anatomy of the young female in the troubling image clearly indicated her age.
Ritter’s defense attorney, Alyssa Fenoy, did not present arguments during the preliminary hearing but requested that the court allow him eligibility for pre-trial services, which could lead to his release without needing to post the current bail of $100,000. She emphasized his lack of prior convictions and minimal flight risk as justifications for considering this request.
However, First Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade opposed the motion, highlighting concerns about potential danger to the community, particularly regarding Ritter’s children. Wade insisted that he could not support any bail conditions for individuals facing accusations related to child sexual abuse.
Judge Solomon noted that the primary functions of bail are to ensure a defendant’s appearance at trial and to safeguard community welfare. He expressed particular concern for the safety of Ritter’s five minor children residing in his home, ultimately rejecting the defense’s petition for pre-trial release.
As of now, no trial date has been announced.
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