A well-known local sports announcer and former weekend news anchor for ESPN Radio 1250 pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography yesterday in federal court.

John P. Duffy, 47, of Carnegie, faces a likely prison term of 51 to 63 months when he is sentenced Jan. 22 by Senior U.S. District Judge Alan N. Bloch.

Mr. Duffy, who was charged after a May 16 search of his home, had more than 40 video files on his computer of children engaged in sexually explicit behavior. Some of those children, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo Song, were pre-pubescent.

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper doing an online investigation into people sharing child pornography on April 17 came across Mr. Duffy, whose computer was sharing more than 100 files.

A U.S. marshal took Mr. Duffy into custody following his hearing, as is required by federal law for that charge.

Mr. Duffy had previously worked with ESPN national radio as a local correspondent. In addition, he worked in the press box at University of Pittsburgh football games serving the media contingent, as well as for women's basketball at the Petersen Events Center.