Former Smethport pastor and musician Daniel Merrick entered guilty pleas Thursday in McKean County Court to possessing nearly 700 images of child pornography.
Merrick, 66, now of Bradford, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual abuse of children — possessing 499 images that depicted young children where indecent contact was depicted, and 199 images of young children.
He has been ordered to undergo a sexually violent predator assessment. Sentencing is scheduled for May 29.
Merrick is represented by attorney Mario Medina of Erie.
A Christian musician, pastor and former Bradford store owner and landlord, Merrick was arrested in February 2023 after a Cybertip was made to State Police Computer Crimes alleging eight images and one video of child pornography were traced back to his cell phone, according to the criminal complaint.
Upon investigation, state police found numerous images of child pornography on Merrick’s cellphone. On Feb. 10, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Merrick’s residence, and the arresting trooper spoke with Merrick at the scene. Merrick said he began viewing pornography due to marital issues, which led to a “two-month curiosity in child pornography,” according to the criminal complaint. He told police that he had an addiction and would seek help, the complaint read.
