​Bucks Co. Sex Offender Sent To Prison For Sharing Child Pornography

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A convicted sex offender was sentenced on Friday to 11 to 24 years in state prison for sharing child pornography.

Charles William Guthier, 56, of Quakertown, pled guilty in September to disseminating child sexual abuse material, possession of child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility.

He appeared before Common Pleas Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr., who sentenced him to five to 10 years on the first count, five to 10 years on the second count, and 1 to 4 years on the third count with sentences running consecutively. As a Tier III sex offender, Guthier will have to register with Megan’s Law for the rest of his life.

While conducting an online investigation in October 2023, Warrington Township Police Sergeant Kevin Stebner identified a host computer using peer-to-peer file-sharing software. The sergeant identified 71 files of child sexual abuse material, also known as child pornography, being shared by the host computer.

The IP address of the host computer was later confirmed to belong to Guthier.

On Feb. 21, 2024 a search warrant was executed at Guthier’s home and investigators seized several electronics and storage devices. The FBI’s Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory conducted a forensic analysis of the seized items and found nearly 2,500 files depicting child sexual abuse material. The files included the 71 files that were identified by Sgt. Stebner in October 2023.

An arrest warrant for Guthier was issued on March 21, 2024. He was subsequently arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol on South Padre Island near the Mexican border. He was eventually extradited back to Bucks County to face charges.

Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that Guthier was already registered as a sex offender on Megan’s Law because of a previous conviction.

The investigation was conducted by Warrington Township Police with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Bucks County Detectives, the Quakertown Borough Police Department, the Hilltown Township Police Department and the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office.