BEDFORD MAN CHARGED WITH CHILD PORN

Read Time:1 Minute, 21 Second

73 YEAR OLD MICHAEL BIENERT OF BEDFORD IS IN THE BEDFORD COUNTY JAIL CHARGED WITH 20 COUNTS OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ONE COUNT OF CRIMINAL USE OF A COMMUNICATION FACILITY

ACCORDING TO A POLICE COMPLAINT, THE OFFICE OF THE PA ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS CONTACTED IN JUNE OF 2020 BY A NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN CONCERNING A TIP THEY RECEIVED BY MICROSOFT ONEDRIVE OF A FILE BEING STORED CONTAINING CHILD PORN. MICROSOFT PROVIDED AN IP ADDRESS THAT WAS TRACED TO BEDFORD PA. IN JUNE OF 2020 A SUBPOENA WAS SERVED TO CENTRYLINK FOR INFORMATION ON THE IP ADDRESS. IN JULY OF 2020 CENTRYLINK PROVIDED THE NAME OF MICHAEL BIENERT OF PENN STREET IN BEDFORD AS THE PERSON ASSIGNED THAT IP ADDRESS.

IN OCTOBER OF 2020 A WARRANT WAS SERVED ON A MICROSOFT ONEDRIVE USER. 3 FILED WERE LOCATED AS A RESULT OF THAT SEARCH, THE FILES CONTAINED IMAGES OF CHILD PORN. IN MARCH OF 2022 INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED CONCERNING A GOOGLE ACCOUNT WITH AN EMAIL ADDRESS CONNECTED TO THE ACCOUNT. GOOGLE REPORTED THAT MICHAEL BIONERT WAS THE LISTED NAME ON THE EMAIL ADDRESS.

ON APRIL 5, 2022, A SEARCH WARRENT WAS SERVED AT THE ADDRESS OF MICHAEL BIENERT OF BEDFORD. THE SUSPECT SPOKE WITH AGENTS AND TOLD THEM, HE LIVED BY HIMSELF, AND DID NOT SHARE HIS INTERNET WITH ANYONE, AND HE WAS THE ONLY ONE USING HIS COMPUTER. MULTIPLE THUMB DRIVES WERE LOCATED CONTAINING 20 IMAGES OF NUDE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
HE WAS ARRAIGNED AND BAIL WAS SET AT $100,000 STRAIGHT BAIL, A PRELIMINARY HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR 04/20/2022