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BELLEFONTE -- A man pleaded guilty Monday in Centre County Court to five felony charges involving the sexual exploitation and trafficking of two juveniles.
Samuel C. Friday pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking of minors, two counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of sexual assault, according to the Centre County District Attorney's Office.
Under a negotiated plea agreement, Friday and prosecutors agreed to an aggregate sentence of 30 to 60 years in state prison. The sentence remains subject to approval and imposition by the court.
Friday has not yet been sentenced. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2027.
According to prosecutors, Friday admitted that between 2021 and 2025 he paid juvenile victims to engage in sexual acts with him and others and subjected them to sexual servitude. He also admitted photographing and recording juveniles engaged in sexual acts.
Prosecutors said Friday admitted his conduct involving one of the victims began when she was 14 and continued until she was 17. Investigators recovered hundreds of images and videos Friday created depicting the sexual exploitation of that victim.
Friday also admitted producing images and videos depicting a second juvenile victim engaged in sexual acts.
He also pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one of the victims without her consent, according to the district attorney's office.
First Assistant District Attorney Joshua Andrews prosecuted the case. He said the guilty pleas avoid a lengthy trial and move the case toward its conclusion at sentencing.
Andrews also credited investigators and the victims and others who provided information during the investigation. He said prosecutors plan to address the impact of the crimes on the victims and community during the January sentencing hearing.
The plea agreement also calls for sex-offender registration and treatment requirements, prohibits Friday from having contact with the victims and minors, and provides for forfeiture of seized property and restitution as determined by the Centre County District Attorney's Office.
The final judgment of sentence will be entered by the court following the Jan. 19 sentencing hearing.