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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; An arrest warrant was issued for a Hazle Township man when he failed to appear before a Luzerne County judge Wednesday to be sentenced on child pornography charges.</p><p>Michael Ferko, 30, last known address as 500 Ridge Ave., was scheduled to be sentenced on eight counts of child pornography and a single count of criminal use of communication facility. Ferko did not contest the charges filed against him by the state Office of Attorney General in October 2015.</p><p>When Ferko, who has been free on $50,000 unsecured bail, failed to appear before Judge Michael T. Vough, an arrest warrant was issued for him.</p><p>Vough said Ferko, when captured, will not be awarded a bail hearing and will be incarcerated until he is sentenced.</p><p>Ferko&#8217;s attorney, Evan T. L. Hughes, initially told Vough it was his error but the judge stopped him, telling Hughes he is not a babysitter for clients.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not your fault. He (Ferko) was given personal notice in this court to appear on today&#8217;s date and time,&#8221; Vough said.</p><p>Agents with the AG&#8217;s Child Predator Section traced child pornography being shared on a computer inside Ferko&#8217;s residence in March 2015. A search warrant was executed at Ferko&#8217;s residence on July 27, 2015, according to court records.</p><p>Ferko denied knowing anything about child pornography and suggested a roommate used his computer, court records say. </p><p>Agents said in court records child pornography was found on a laptop computer recovered from a desk drawer in Ferko&#8217;s bedroom.</p><p>A forensic examination of the laptop computer revealed images and videos of children engaged in sex acts, court records say.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Ferko </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_Ferko.jpg</photo0><caption0>Ferko </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Warrant issued after Hazle Twp. man skips sentencing hearing