A Northampton County man has been charged by the Pa. Attorney General’s Office after he, allegedly, posed as a young girl in online chat rooms in order to share child sexual abuse materials and solicit money from other online users.
On Tuesday morning, the office of Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges of corruption of minors, possession of child sexual abuse materials, indecent assault of a pre-teen child and related offenses against 21-year-old Patrick Werkiser, of Easton.
“This defendant frequented the dark corners of the internet to accumulate heinous materials, which he offered in exchange for cash — but our agents were watching, and he is now facing very serious charges,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement on Werkiser’s arrest.
The attorney general’s office said Werkiser is facing 40 counts of possession of child sex abuse materials among the other offenses.
The charges arose, officials said, after investigators searched Werkiser’s home on Whitney Avenue in Easton.
Investigators believe Werkiser posed as a young girl in online chat rooms and shared child sex abuse materials with others and solicited money in online chat rooms.
An investigation into this case, officials said, remains ongoing.
Werkiser is being held in police custody on $250,000 bail as he awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 29, 2026.
