Former West Hartford Resident Facing 20 Years In Child Porn Case

WEST HARTFORD — A former West Hartford resident is facing between five years and two decades in prison in a child pornography case, authorities said.

John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael Shea, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, announced that Dylan Koerner, 29, of New Britain, formerly of West Hartford, waived his right to be indicted Monday and pleaded guilty today to one count of distribution of child pornography.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act, the court proceeding before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2019 and October 2019, Koerner used a false identity and posed as a teenager on Kik, an internet mobile application, to solicit child pornography from Kik users who he believed to be minor females.

He also distributed images and videos of child pornography to other Kik users, case records show.

Analysis of Koerner's cell phone and an external hard drive seized from him in October 2019 revealed approximately 121 "unique images" and nine "unique videos" depicting child pornography, case records indicate.

Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, at which time Koerner faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and and a maximum term of 20 years.

Koerner was released on a $100,000 bond, pending sentencing, Durham said.