Apr 22, 2016 4 min read

A 25-year-old Aliquippa man was sentenced to a total of more than 59 years in state prison Friday on charges he sexually abused four boys and possessed child pornography on his phone.

Washington County Judge Gary Gilman imposed a total of 59 years, 10 months to 119 years, 8 months in prison for Michael J. Bickel during an emotionally charged hearing.

The state Attorney General’s Office charged Bickel last year for sex acts with two boys, between the ages of 7 and 11, from 2010 until early 2015. The office later added charges when two more victims were identified. Investigators also found pornography and lewd text and Facebook messages to the boys on Bickel’s phone, when he was arrested last March at his workplace in Hanover Township.

Bickel pleaded guilty to 218 counts of child rape, child pornography and other charges in September.

Bickel listened while victims’ family members described the trauma resulting from his actions. Statements from two of the victims were also read.

“My hope is that his last breath happens while he is behind bars, whether that is in the near future or 100 years from now,” the father of one victim said.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Laura Ditka noted a letter Bickel wrote to one victim’s family in which he professed love for the boy and asked for the chance to see the boy again.

“The defendant seems ill-equipped to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions,” Ditka said.

Bickel apologized to the victims and their families at the hearing. Referring to the letter, he also said he now understands it is best if he doesn’t see the children again.

He asked for a “second chance.”

“I don’t believe that I deserve the full, maximum sentence,” he said.

A victim who was at the hearing walked out of the courtroom while Bickel spoke.

Assistant Public Defender Christopher Sherwood, who represented Bickel, said his client admitted guilt and said Bickel suffered abuse during his childhood. He asked for a sentence on the “lower end” of the standard guidelines for the charges.

Gilman referred to several details of the case he called “disturbing” and which showed intent before imposing the sentence, including the number of offenses.

He also pointed to excerpts from graphic and threatening messages Bickel sent to the victims.

Gilman imposed sentences of nine to 18 years on each of three charges of child rape; another nine to 18 years on each of three charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; and 20 to 40 months on each of three charges of photographing, videotaping, depicting on computer or filming child sex acts. Gilman imposed five to 10 months on each of two more charges – unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

Bickel will serve the sentences consecutively. GIlman gave Bickel credit for time served and withdrew the remaining charges.

The investigation began in July 2014 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children passed a cybertip from Google about an account belonging to Bickel to an Allegheny County Detective with the High Tech Crime Unit. An Allegheny detective found images that appeared to depict minors engaged in sex acts and forwarded it to the Attorney General’s Office.

Agents got search warrants for Bickel’s email and found he sent outgoing messages containing apparent child pornography. Bickel reportedly told investigators he believed the person with whom he was exchanging emails lived outside the country.

Investigators also found explicit texts and Facebook messages to the boys in the memory in Bickel’s phone.

In an affidavit, investigators said Bickel admitted to using his cellphone to videotape himself having sex with the children and download “thousands” of pornographic images involving children.