Hearing delayed in AI child image case

LEWISTOWN — A hearing for a Lewistown man accused of having child sexually abusive material on his computer has been continued to another date.

The formal hearing for Andrew McCartle III, 35, originally scheduled for Tuesday, will now be held at 9 a.m. Jan. 13 before Mifflin County President Judge Aaron Gingrich.

McCartle was charged through the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office regarding sexually abusive material that was found at his home, including files containing images produced via artificial intelligence depicting children.

The Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section charged McCartle II with 95 felony charges, including 48 felony charges in regard to A.I.- generated child sexual abuse material.

McCartle is being held in Mifflin County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail.

Nearly 1,200 crash reports issues over holiday

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania State Police announced its crash and enforcement totals from the 2025 Thanksgiving travel period.

From Nov. 26-30, police investigated 1,183 vehicle crashes, resulting in six deaths. Impaired driving was a factor in 61 crashes.

The total number of crashes was up slightly from this time period last year, from 1,167 to 1,183 while the number of fatal crashes went from six in 2024 to five this year. The number of people killed in Thanksgiving weekend crashes stayed the same, at six.

The number of injuries related to crashes also went up slightly, from 164 to 186. The number of crashes related to indviduals driving under the influence stayed the same, at 61 incidents.

The number of DUI-related fatal crashes went down, from one during the Thanksgiving weekend to zero.

Police said the number of DUI arrests dropped, from 537 in 2024 to 458 in 2025. The number of speeding citations also dropped, from 8,148 to 7,272.

There were 72 child seat citations issued during Thanksgiving weekend, compared to 108 in 2024. The number of seat belt citations also went down, from 1,072 last year, to 934 this year.

These statistics cover only those incidents investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and do not include incidents to which other law enforcement agencies responded.