U.S. Coast Guard veteran Brian Zenszer, of Warminster, charged by indictment in December 2024 by the FBI
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced Wednesday that United States Coast Guard veteran and former SEPTA transit police officer, was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III to 144 months’ imprisonment, seven years of supervised release, and $32,000 restitution for child pornography offenses.
Brian Zenszer, 44, of Warminster, pleaded guilty earlier this year before Bartle on one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He faced between five to 40 years in state prison.
Zenszer had been committing the child pornography offenses for years, investigators said. He was charged by indictment in December of last year, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
As presented in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on or about July 21, 2024, Zenszer knowingly distributed a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, authorities said.
In addition, on or about November 6, 2024, the Warminster man possessed a Samsung cellular phone containing visual depictions of minors, including one or more prepubescent minors who had not reached 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, prosecutors said.
The charges arose from two CyberTips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding two accounts on the Kik messaging app. Investigators found the two accounts had uploaded suspected files of child pornography – and both belonged to Zenszer.
According to Fox29, the federal government said Zenszer admitted to viewing and distributing child sex abuse material on the job for years. Zenszer would often do it in the patrol car, unbeknownst to his partner sitting right next to him.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, according to the Bucks DA.
Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney.
In the same Fox29 report, Zenszer was seen as a model officer by his colleagues and higher-ups, and was never discplined in 17 years of service.
"He would just do everything for you, he even caught a criminal one night breaking into a house," one neighbor told Fox29.
“Brian Zenszer broke the law while sworn to uphold it, and the nature of his crimes is truly abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Those who trade images of children being sexually abused perpetuate the victimization of the vulnerable, and, like Zenszer, they must be held accountable.”
“Crimes like these are among the most egregious offenses the FBI investigates, and protecting the vulnerable remains one of our top priorities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentencing is a testament to the diligent and unceasing work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice. We will continue to hold offenders accountable for their crimes and safeguard the innocent from predators.”
“The sentencing of Brian Zenszer sends a clear message that those who engage in the abhorrent act of child pornography will be held accountable,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “We are committed to working with our federal partners, like the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals who exploit children, ensuring justice for victims and protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.”
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
