(MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania: August 12, 2025):  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the Smethport man who reports he is a pastor who tried to withdraw his plea agreement for possessing child pornography by claiming that he was investigating child pornography for law enforcement has been sentenced to state prison by a judge during a sentencing hearing at the courthouse last week.

Daniel Walter MERRICK was charged by Trooper Robert Whyel of the Computer Crimes Division of the Pennsylvania State Police with possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography after an internet provider reported such images were uploaded by MERRICK.  MERRICK pled guilty to possessing 698 images/videos of prepubescent children with 499 of those also depicting indecent contact.  At a sentencing hearing in May, MERRICK, who reports he is a pastor, told the Judge that he only possessed the pornography as part of an investigation he had undertaken for law enforcement into Ukrainian and Russian children who are victims of child pornography.  The sentencing was rescheduled to last week to allow for a full hearing to present evidence of any such investigation. 

At the hearing, no further evidence regarding the alleged law enforcement agency MERRICK claimed to have reported the pornography to was provided.  On behalf of the Commonwealth, District Attorney Vettenburg-Shaffer presented the testimony of Trooper Robert Whyel who testified that, when he and a Corporal interviewed MERRICK, MERRICK told them that he and his wife had not been intimate in years, that he began to search for pornography including anime pornography, and he had developed a curiosity in child pornography.  Trooper Whyel told the Court that MERRICK told them that he had searched for child pornography for 2 months and that he would seek help from a therapist for his addiction. Trooper Whyel said that MERRICK told him that he never touched a child and that it was only a fantasy. 

The Court imposed a sentence of 46 months to 92 months in state prison and 3 years of consecutive probation. MERRICK was ordered to submit a DNA sample and resister as a sex offender as well as other conditions.  He is not eligible for any early parole program.  He had credit of 1 day served.  MERRICK was remanded to the McKean County Jail immediately after the sentence. 

If you suspect child abuse, please report it to Childline at 800-932-0313 and to police by calling 911.