Greensburg man gets house arrest, probation in child porn case

A Greensburg man will serve seven years on probation for possession of child pornography police said he solicited from young girls last year.

Joshua Bittner, 21, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts in connection with an investigation in which two girls, ages 10 and 11, told police that a 12-year-old boy from DuBois contacted them through a social media site, asking for nude pictures.

According to court records, Bittner was identified as the person who sought the pictures and other images of sex acts.

Police last year found at least 14 images of child pornography on a flash drive and a cellphone in Bittner’s bedroom, according to court documents.

In addition to the probation term, Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered Bittner to serve 18 months on house arrest. The house arrest portion of the sentence can be shortened to six months if Bittner is in compliance with other requirements of his sentence, including he have no access to the internet, social media and smart phones other than for school work.

Prosecutors dismissed nine counts of possession of child pornography as part of the plea bargain.

Bittner’s father, Mark Bittner, earlier this year completed a one-year probation term as part of his admission last year to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for first-time offenders. Mark Bittner, 51, was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest connected to his son’s case. Entrance into the jail diversionary program did not require Bittner to admit guilt.

Police said Mark Bittner fought with agents from the state’s Attorney General’s Office when they arrived at the family’s home on Jan. 29, 2019, as part of the investigation. Prosecutors said Mark Bittner and the agents broke through a porch railing and fell five feet onto a concrete sidewalk during the scuffle.