Former PA State House Candidate Indicted On Child Pornography Charge

PITTSBURGH, PA — A man who unsuccessfully ran a campaign for a state House seat and a school board seat has been indicted on a child pornography charge.

Justin Marshall Byers, 20, of New Castle, Lawrence County, was indicted in the U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh on a federal charge of possessing material depicting sexual exploitation of a minor.

The one-count indictment alleges that that Byers knowingly possessed images and videos, in computer graphic and digital files, depicting prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted of the charge, Byers faces up to 20 years in prison.

According to the indictment, the investigation into Byers resulted in three iPhones, an Amazon tablet and an Acer Chromebook being confiscated.

Byers, a 2024 New Castle High School graduate, tried to run in the May primary for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Legislative District but failed to get n the ballot. His subsequent write-in candidacy was unsuccessful.

Byers' House campaign website remains online, as does his Facebook page promoting his candidacy for New Castle School District director.

Byers faces a detention hearing Friday in Western District Court.