HARRISBURG, Pa. — An Adams County man will serve up to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to charges that he coerced several pre-adolescent girls into sending him sexually explicit images in exchange for cell phones, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam said Wednesday.
Michael Sealover, 45, of New Oxford, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, Karam said.
He was also ordered to pay $5,100 in assessments, according to Karam.
Sealover previously pleaded guilty and admitted to contacting multiple pre-adolescent girls online in July 2020 and coercing and enticing them to send him sexually explicit images at his direction. As part of the scheme, Sealover often posed as a teenage boy to gain the girls’ trust and then enticed his victims to send him sexually explicit images, falsely promising to give the victims cell phones as compensation.
When Sealover’s victims resisted his instructions or expressed despair at being exploited, Sealover would threaten to publish their images online unless they complied with his demands, Karam said.
Sealover's victims were all over the country, including in Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Michigan, West Virginia and Iowa.
Law enforcement in those states were able to interview Sealover's victims to further learn about his criminal activity.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Adams County District Attorney’s Office, according to Karam.
