
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Maurice Taylor Neal was arrested back on July 5, 2018 for charges related to a string of sexual assaults that he had perpetrated on four young girls ranging between the ages of six and twelve years old.
Neal pleaded guilty to the charges against him within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and was sentenced to 25-50 years in state prison. While incarcerated, investigators discovered a video on his cell phone of abuse he had carried out on the 12-year-old victim. As a result, a federal charge of manufacturing child pornography was filed against him.
In November of 2019, Neal pleaded guilty to one count of the manufacturing of child pornography. He has been sentenced to 25 years in prison and lifetime supervised release by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage.
“Maurice Neal left a trail of young, vulnerable victims in his wake,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain is quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Department of Justice. “In a few short months, he took advantage of every opportunity to prey upon children in homes in which he was staying, horrifically abusing four little girls within his grasp and causing incalculable damage. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will hold defendants like Maurice Neal accountable and pursue justice for the victims.”
“Put simply, Maurice Neal is a predator,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He sexually violated multiple children, documenting some of that abuse. It’s vital that he stay locked away where he can’t hurt any more kids. The FBI and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department won’t ever stop fighting to protect children from being so horrifically exploited.”
Neal remains in the Philadelphia prison system.