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Strawbridge is charged in child porn

Steven L. Strawbridge Sr., once a senior executive at the family's Strawbridge & Clothier department store chain, has been charged with possessing child pornography and could face four years in federal prison. Strawbridge, 63, of Gladwyne, was vice president and treasurer of the department store chain, which was sold to May Department Stores in 1996.

    by By John Shiffman, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER, Inquirer
    Published 

Steven L. Strawbridge Sr., once a senior executive at the family's Strawbridge & Clothier department store chain, has been charged with possessing child pornography and could face four years in federal prison. Strawbridge, 63, of Gladwyne, was vice president and treasurer of the department store chain, which was sold to May Department Stores in 1996.

His brother, Peter, and cousin, Francis - both Strawbridges - played more prominent executive roles at Strawbridge & Clothier. His father, G. Stockton Strawbridge, was longtime chairman and third-generation patriarch.

Steven Strawbridge is expected to plead guilty next month in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, his lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, confirmed yesterday. Sitarchuk declined further comment.

Strawbridge is charged with possessing more than 100 images of child pornography in April 2005. He has no prior criminal record, and is expected to voluntarily surrender to the FBI on the same day that he pleads guilty.

The advisory federal sentencing guidelines in such a case call for a prison sentence of at least four years.

Strawbridge will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Zack said he could not comment on the case.

Strawbridge became a director of Strawbridge & Clothier in 1975 and served as secretary, treasurer and vice president through the 1990s, according to corporate records.