Havertown Father Charged With Child Porn

Officials have charged a Havertown father with 100 counts of possession of child pornography, according to an affidavit and court documents.

Francis H. Cavone Jr. was arrested Thursday, June 9, and is facing five counts of dissemination of child pornography and 100 counts of possession of child pornography, according to court documents.

The 40-year-old father of four is scheduled to make a preliminary hearing with Magistrate Judge John P. Capuzzi on Monday, July 18 at 1 p.m.

(Editor's note: Originally Cavone was supposed to see Judge Capuzzi on Monday, June 20, but it has been changed to Monday, July 18, a clerk at the Broomall District Court # 32-1-24 told the Haverford-Havertown Patch on Thursday, June 16.)

Cavone, who lives on the 1200 block Leedom Rd., Havertown, already had his preliminary arraignment hearing on Thursday, June 9, and is out on bail after paying 10 percent of his $50,000 bail, according to documents. 

According to the affidavit, on Monday evening, March 14, State trooper Kevin Garhart was conducting an online investigation to identify people possessing and sharing child pornography. He came across an IP address—which is used to identify a computer or another machine, such as a printer, that is on the Internet—that was allegedly downloading child pornography.

“The video depicts a prepubescent female, clothed, fondling an adult male penis exposed through the zipper of (the) pants worn by the adult,” stated the affidavit, describing one of the alleged downloaded files.

It was eventually determined that the IP address allegedly belonged to Cavone’s Compaq computer.

On Wednesday, May 4, Detective Lieutenant David Peifer, of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division, along with Haverford Township Police Detective Jere Goodman, Detective Sgt. Chris Chambers, among others, obtained a search warrant and went to Cavone’s place of residence, where his parents are also staying, according to the affidavit.

When officials arrived, Cavone’s parents informed them that he was at work and he was called home, according to the affidavit. Once he got home, Cavone, even though he was told he did not have to answer any questions, allegedly said he wanted to and explained to authorities that he has a four-year cocaine habit and when he gets high he looks for child porn, which he pleasures himself to, but feels guilty afterwards, stated the affidavit.

“He denied any sexual contact with any children and said he has never photographed any child for sexual purposes,” the affidavit stated.

Cavone allegedly told authorities that he would never harm his four children, two of whom live with him, according to the affidavit. The two, ages 4 and 2, who are living with him are from his ex-girlfriend and he has two more, ages 10 and 8, who live with his estrange wife in New Jersey, stated the affidavit.

The Haverford-Havertown Patch called a number listed for Cavone on Tuesday evening. The woman who picked up the phone, who did not identify herself, took down the phone number for the Haverford-Havertown Patch and said she would pass it on to Cavone.

He has not returned Patch’s phone call.