Ex-official convicted of child porn charges gets 12 years

WAYNE, Pa. – A former top official in a Philadelphia suburb who authorities say had thousands of pornographic images of children on various devices, including an iPad issued for government business, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison.

Philip Ahr was sentenced Tuesday.

The 68-year-old is the former president of Radnor Township’s Board of Commissioners.

U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson acknowledged Ahr’s efforts at rehabilitation, but said it is an addiction that calls for harsh sentencing rather than treatment in order to threaten the black-market child pornography industry.

Ahr apologized to his victims, his family and his constituents. Ahr said he was sick when committing the crimes and didn’t realize the harm he was causing.

Ahr has been in custody for eighteen months.