October 08, 2005

Berks man gets up to 5 years in prison in nude images case

PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

By Hal Marcovitz
Of The Morning Call

Witnesses told Bucks County Judge Alan M. Rubenstein Friday that Keith Tiffany is a dedicated Christian youth leader, but the judge sentenced the Berks County man to a state prison term, suggested that putting Tiffany in charge of a church youth group is like ''sending Count Dracula to a blood bank.''

Tiffany was convicted by the judge in June for photographing a 19-year-old man in the nude at a quarry in East Rockhill Township. Tiffany told police that he took the photographs as part of his missionary work and planned to use the pictures to prove to Brazilian youths that Americans are not materialistic.

''You came up with a preposterous story,'' Rubenstein told Tiffany, 45. ''You find it impossible to come to grips with your illness and behavior. Clearly, these photos were taken by you for the purpose of your own sexual stimulation. There is no other conclusion.''

After his arrest, an examination of Tiffany's computer found images of several nude boys. Tiffany was subsequently convicted on more than 200 counts of sexual abuse of children — one count for each photo stored in his computer. He also was convicted of indecent exposure, open lewdness, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors, defiant trespass and possession of an instrument of crime, his camera.

Posted by kshaw at October 8, 2005 07:46 AM