Man who pleaded no contest to stealing from 9/11 Memorial Ride sentenced on separate charge of possession of child sexual abuse material
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Michael Allen Ritter, who pleaded no contest to stealing from the 9/11 Memorial Ride in March 2025, was sentenced to five to ten months in county prison for possession of child sexual abuse material in the courtroom of Lycoming County Judge Ryan Gardner Wednesday morning. Ritter pleaded guilty to the charge during a hearing on April 15.
Receiving credit for time served, Ritter, of 26 E. Village Drive, Nisbet, was released following the hearing.
Less than a month after Ritter, 38, pleaded no contest to a single count of theft by deception for failing to deliver 500 t-shirts and $300-worth of decals to have been created for the annual 9/11 Memorial Ride, he was charged with six counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, five of which authorities say they found during an initial search of his cell phone in relation to the 9/11 theft charges.
In exchange for the plea, the five other counts were dismissed.
The evidence consisted of four or five images, some of which were described as "borderline," First Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade said.
Asked by Gardner to explain "borderline," Wade said that it was difficult to tell if some of those depicted in the images were under 18-years-old or if they were simply very young looking adults.
The vast majority of the sexual images found on Ritter’s phone depicted adult women, Wade said, adding that the few images he was charged for were "hard to find."
Additionally, he was found to not be a sexually violent predator or have pedophilic disorder.
Wade said that it was important for Ritter to rid himself of his addiction to pornography, as to not have repeat offenses.
During plea agreement talks, the District Attorney’s Office looked very closely at Ritter’s family life and determined that he is not a danger to his children, Wade said.
"We have a caseload full of absolutely gross images adults engaging in sexual acts with children. This case does not involve that," he stressed.
Ritter will also be permitted to engage in public "family activities," though what those include will be at the discretion of the Adult Probation office.
In addition to his time already served, Ritter will be required to serve four years probation and complete 150 hours of community service.