Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Cheltenham Township Police Chief John Frye have announced the arrest of 47-year-old Harley Strauss of Glenside (Cheltenham Township). Strauss is facing felony charges related to possessing child pornography.

The investigation into Stauss began on March 29th when the Montgomery County Detective Bureau received Cybertips from Kik Messenger, Twitter and Facebook via the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force related to 11 images/videos of suspected child pornography.

Detectives determined the images were child pornography, involving children less than 13 years of age. The IP address related to each of the three accounts was traced back to the defendant’s residence on South Easton Road in Glenside.

A search warrant was served on Strauss’s home on April 2nd and investigators took possession of Strauss’s iPhone. According to investigators, the forensic analysis of the cellphone found that it contained 313 photographs and 73 videos of children engaged in sexual acts and in various stages of undress. Two hundred eighteen of the images/videos were children under the age of 13 engaged in a prohibited sexual act.

Strauss was charged with 100 felony counts of possessing child pornography and 100 counts of criminal use of a communications facility. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Elizabeth McHugh Casey, who set bail at $20,000 unsecured. A preliminary hearing was set for May 13th at 11:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Christopher J. Cerski.

Photo: Mug shot from Montgomery County Office of the District Attorney