MORE THAN 50 VICTIMS: Crowd packs courtroom for teens’ AI child pornography sentencing
CONTINUES TO CLAIM THE U.S. WON THE WAR. WGAL NEWS 8 STARTS WITH BREAKING NEWS. THAT BREAKING NEWS. IRANIAN STATE TELEVISION’S ENGLISH ARM REPORTS THAT TEHRAN REJECTED A U.S. CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL. GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M SUSAN SHAPIRO TWO OFFICIALS FROM PAKISTAN SAY THE 15 POINT PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A ROLLBACK OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, LIMITS ON MISSILES AND REOPENING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AN EGYPTIAN OFFICIAL ADDED THAT THE PROPOSAL INCLUDES RESTRICTIONS ON IRAN’S SUPPORT FOR ARMED GROUPS. IRAN ISSUED ITS OWN CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL THIS MORNING, CALLING FOR WAR, REPARATIONS AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WORD OF THE PROPOSAL SENT OIL PRICES DOWN AND WALL STREET UP. YOU’RE LOOKING LIVE AT THE DOW BOARD RIGHT NOW. IT IS UP MORE THAN 309 POINTS. OIL PRICES HAVE HAD A MODEST DECREASE. BRANT CRUDE FLUCTUATED THIS MORNING AT OR BELOW $100 A BARREL, UP FROM PRE-WAR PRICES, BUT LOWER THAN THE PEAK THIS MONTH. THE STATE AVERAGE FOR GAS IS 3.95 A GALLON, UP $0.83 SINCE THE START OF THE WAR. IN IRAN, TRIPLE A SAYS MIFFLIN COUNTY IS THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AVERAGING $4 A GALLON, THOUGH SOME GAS STATIONS IN OTHER COUNTIES HAVE CROSSED THAT MARK. THE AVERAGE PRICE IN FRANKLIN COUNTY TICKED DOWN A FEW CENTS TO 3.77 A GALLON. THE PENTAGON IS PREPARING TO DEPLOY AROUND 1000 PARATROOPERS TO THE MIDDLE EAST. IN THE COMING DAYS, THEY’LL JOIN THOUSANDS OF MARINES AND NAVY FORCES CURRENTLY SAILING TO THE REGION. NEWS 8 WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER HAS MORE FROM OUR WASHINGTON BUREAU. THESE PARATROOPERS ARE KNOWN AS THE ARMY’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE FORCE. THEY ARE TRAINED TO PARACHUTE INTO DANGEROUS REGIONS ON VERY SHORT NOTICE. BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CAME ON THE SAME DAY THE PRESIDENT MADE THIS COMMENT. I DON’T LIKE TO SAY THIS. WE’VE WON THIS WITH THIS WAR HAS BEEN WON. THE ONLY ONE THAT LIKES TO KEEP IT GOING IS THE FAKE NEWS. AT THE SAME TIME, SOURCES TELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE PENTAGON IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEPLOYING TWO MARINE UNITS AND THOUSANDS OF SAILORS TO THE REGION, WHERE THE U.S. ALREADY HAS ABOUT 50,000 TROOPS STATIONED WITH MORE TROOPS ON THE WAY. WE ARE LEARNING THE U.S. SENT A 15 POINT PLAN TO IRAN FOR A POSSIBLE CEASEFIRE DEAL, BUT THAT DIDN’T STOP IRAN FROM LAUNCHING EVEN MORE ATTACKS ON ISRAEL AND THE GULF REGION OVERNIGHT. MEANWHILE, ON TUESDAY, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONTINUED TO STRESS THE U.S. IS IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DOING IT. AND THE OTHER SIDE, I CAN TELL YOU THEY’D LIKE TO MAKE A DEAL. AND WHO WOULDN’T IF YOU WERE THERE EVEN WITH A DEAL POSSIBLY UNDERWAY? MANY OF THE PRESIDENT’S GOALS HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED, INCLUDING FREE TRADE OF OIL, WHICH HAS BEEN IMPACTING GAS PRICES IN THE U.S. WITH THE DISRUPTION OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. NOW, ACCORDING TO TRIPLE A, THE PRICE FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR GAS IS 3.98. THAT IS UP $1 FROM WHEN THE WAR STARTED NEARLY A MONTH AGO IN WASHINGTON. RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER WGAL. NEWS 8. THE STATE HOUSE PASSED A BILL TO REGULATE AI DATA CENTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND LIMIT THE IMPACT ON ELECTRIC RATES. THE BILL WOULD BLOCK DATA CENTERS FROM MAKING CUSTOMERS PAY FOR THE COST OF ADDITIONAL ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND REQUIRE THEM TO USE AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, INCLUDING GEOTHERMAL AND WIND. THIS BILL WILL INCENTIVIZE DATA CENTERS TO BRING THEIR OWN ENERGY. IF THEY DO THAT, THAT’S GREAT. THEY BRING THEIR OWN GENERATION. THERE’S NO PROBLEM. SEVERAL DATA CENTER PROJECTS ARE EITHER PROPOSED OR ARE IN THE WORKS IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY HAPPENING TODAY, SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIGHT HUNGER WILL MEET WITH STATE LAWMAKERS AS TALKS CONTINUE ABOUT THE STATE BUDGET. NEWS EIGHT’S GABRIELLE THOMAS REPORTS ON WHAT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BANK PLANS TO ASK LAWMAKERS. BOXES LIKE THESE ARE DELIVERED TO PLACES ACROSS THE STATE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, THOUGH IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP, THEY’RE DELIVERED TO PLACES LIKE LANCASTER ALL THE WAY UP TO MIFFLIN, FRANKLIN AND ADAMS. BUT CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BANK DOESN’T JUST SERVE THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. THEY SERVE THE 27 COUNTIES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS MAP. AND THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE ADVOCATING FOR TODAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL. I HAVE SHYLA AND JULIE JOINING ME. I’M GOING TO START WITH YOU. WHAT CONVERSATIONS DO YOU ALL PLAN TO HAVE WITH LAWMAKERS TODAY, AND HOW MUCH FUNDING ARE YOU REQUESTING? WE’RE REALLY FORTUNATE IN PENNSYLVANIA TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATURE, WHO SUPPORTS TWO PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN PENNSYLVANIA, THE STATE FOOD PURCHASE PROGRAM AND THE PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURAL SURPLUS SYSTEM. THOSE PROGRAMS HELP US TO BUY FOOD DIRECTLY FROM FARMERS AND FROM MANUFACTURERS RIGHT HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA. AND WE’RE ASKING FOR $35 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE STATE FOOD PURCHASE PROGRAM SYSTEM HERE WITHIN PENNSYLVANIA, AND THEN $11 MILLION TO SUPPORT OUR FARMERS DIRECTLY WITH THE PASS PROGRAM. AND WHAT’S THE NEED RIGHT NOW HERE IN THE COMMUNITY? WE’VE SEEN AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 40% OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HUNGER WITHIN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, WHICH IS PRETTY TRUE OF OF ACROSS THE STATE. WHAT WE’RE WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS A NUMBER. AND SO, YOU KNOW, HUNGER HITS EVERY MUNICIPALITY, EVERY BOROUGH, EVERY COMMUNITY WITHIN PENNSYLVANIA AND BEYOND. AND SO WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT EXISTS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITIES, EVEN IF YOU DON’T SEE IT. SHAYLA. THANK YOU. AND JULIE, YOU GUYS CAP IN LANCASTER REALLY HELPS OUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BANK TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN LANCASTER GET THE FOOD THEY NEED. COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT PARTNERSHIP A LITTLE BIT MORE? YEAH, SURE. SO WE ARE A PARTNER AS A PARTNER AGENCY OF THE FOOD BANK. WE PURCHASE FOOD AND ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE THROUGH THE FOOD BANK AT A REALLY LOW PRICE AND ABLE TO SOURCE FOOD THAT OUR NEIGHBORS NEED. SO IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE KNOW WHAT PEOPLE NEED AND WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT THEIR FAMILIES WILL EAT. SO THEN WE GO AND PURCHASE WITH THE FOOD BANK. AND THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE ACCESS TO FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS CAN NOT ONLY HELP WITH FOOD, BUT ALSO HELP THEM, YOU KNOW, GET JOBS OR, YOU KNOW, GET BACK ON THEIR FEET IF THEY’RE HAVING HARD TIMES OR, YOU KNOW, JUST ARE ABLE TO LIVE A DAILY LIFE OR HAVE LIKE A LIVELIHOOD, I WOULD SAY, AND ALSO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EATING. YEAH. SO OUR MISSION IS REALLY TO ENSURE THAT ALL IN ALL, IN LANCASTER CAN THRIVE. AND FOOD IS ONE WAY THAT WE DO THAT. AND SO WE REALLY THINK ABOUT HOLISTIC APPROACHES. SO HELPING WITH THINGS LIKE UTILITY BILLS AND EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE. AND SO WE REALLY THINK ABOUT THE WHOLE PERSON AND THEIR WHOLE NEEDS. BUT FOOD IS REALLY FOUNDATIONAL TO THAT. JULIE, THANK YOU. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BANK, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, WGAL.COM. REPORTING HERE IN SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP. I’M GABRIEL THOMAS WGAL NEWS EIGHT. THE LANCASTER SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED A FURLOUGH RESOLUTION LAST NIGHT, PUTTING MORE THAN 100 EMPLOYEES AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR JOBS. FURLOUGHS ARE SEEN AS A WAY TO ELIMINATE A $10 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT DUE TO WHAT THE DISTRICT CALLS AN ACCOUNTING ERROR. STATE LAW REQUIRES THE DISTRICT TO ADOPT THIS TYPE OF RESOLUTION AT LEAST 60 DAYS BEFORE IT APPROVES A BUDGET FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS IT WILL TRY TO AVOID THE FURLOUGHS. THE CUTS WOULD SAVE THE DISTRICT $17 MILLION. WE’RE TASKED WITH TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY. WE FELL SHORT WITH WHAT OCCURRED, AND WE INTEND TO BUILD THAT TRUST AND WORK ON ENSURING IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN PERSONALLY FURLOUGHED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LANCASTER IN THE PAST, I WOULD REALLY IMPLORE YOU TO LOOK AT A WAY WHERE THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL EMPLOYEES WHO CAUSED THIS PROBLEM TO HAPPEN AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. THE DISTRICT HAS NOT SAID WHEN A DECISION WILL BE MADE, BUT THE BUDGET IS DUE IN JUNE. A COMMUNITY BUDGET FORUM IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 7TH AT LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL. NEWS 8 SPOKE WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT THE RESIGNATION OF MANHEIM TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT INTENDED. CAROLINE PATE, HEFTY PARENTS IN THE DISTRICT IN LANCASTER COUNTY QUESTIONED THE TERMS OF HER RESIGNATION. SHE’S ON PAID LEAVE UNTIL JUNE 30TH, WHEN HER RESIGNATION TAKES EFFECT. SHE WILL CONTINUE RECEIVING HER $227,000 A YEAR SALARY, AS WELL AS FULL HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AND PAY FOR PERSONAL AND VACATION DAYS. I DO KNOW THERE ARE LIMITATIONS BY STATUTE FOR THE AMOUNT THAT YOU CAN PAY OUT. A SUPERINTENDENT CAN BE UP TO A ONE YEAR PAY, SO THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT LAW. BUT YOU KNOW, I’M SURE THEY FOLLOWED THAT IN IN THIS AGREEMENT. DOCTOR MARTIN HUDAX IS NOW THE DISTRICT’S SUBSTITUTE SUPERINTENDENT. SOME CLOUDS HANGING AROUND HERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AS WE LOOK LIVE FROM OUR SKY CAM NETWORK. AND METEOROLOGIST RYAN MERCHANT IS HERE WITH THE FORECAST. RYAN. CERTAINLY MOSTLY CLOUDY TODAY, BUT I WILL ALSO SAY A BIT OF A MILD AFTERNOON THAT WILL BE ON TAP FOR US. AND THAT’S REALLY GOING TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT AS WE GET INTO THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON. SO WE’LL SEE SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. TOMORROW. SEE SOME HIGHS NEAR NEAR THE 70 DEGREE MARK. WE ARE LOOKING AT A CHANCE OF SOME RAIN LATE IN THE DAY THURSDAY. THEN WE’RE LOOKING AT SOME MORNING RAIN. IT WILL BE BREEZY AND COOLER FOR YOUR FRIDAY TEMPERATURES INTO THE 40S. FOR THE MAJORITY OF US, RIGHT AROUND 54 DEGREES IN GETTYSBURG. BUT WE HAVE A SOUTHERLY BREEZE STARTING TO KICK IN THAT WILL BE STARTING TO INCREASE AS WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. AS YOU CAN SEE, GUSTS GET UPWARDS OF ABOUT 25, POSSIBLY 30MPH AS WE GET INTO LATE TONIGHT. SO HERE’S YOUR 12 HOUR FORECAST AGAIN. WE’LL SEE SOME BREAKS IN THE SUN IN THE CLOUDS TODAY. WE’LL SEE SOME BREAKS OF SOME SUNSHINE AND WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY AS WE GO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. BUT WE’LL HAVE MORE IN THE FULL FORECAST COMING UP HERE IN JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, RYAN. FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, THE STATE HOUSE PASSED A BILL TO RAISE PENNSYLVANIA’S MINIMUM WAGE. THE BILL WOULD GRADUALLY RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE FROM 7.25 TO $15 AN HOUR. IF PASSED, EMPLOYERS WOULD HAVE TO START PAYING $11 AN HOUR IN 20 27, 13 IN 28 AND $15 IN 2029. DEMOCRATS ARGUE THE BILL WILL PROTECT THE STATE’S LOWEST EARNERS, WHILE REPUBLICANS SAY IT WOULD END MANY ENTRY LEVEL AND PART TIME POSITIONS. THEY WOULD BE THE JOBS OF OUR YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING HOW TO WORK, WHO ARE LEARNING WITH HANDS ON TRAINING, HOW TO GET TO WORK ON TIME, HOW TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE. FOR ANYONE WITH GOOD CONSCIENCE TO SOMEHOW SAY, BUT 725 AN HOUR WORK AFTER TAXES, THREE HOURS TO PAY FOR A HAMBURGER FOR YOURSELF. THAT IS UNCONSCIONABLE. IT IS IMMORAL. IT IS PAST TIME TO RAISE THE WAGE.
MORE THAN 50 VICTIMS: Crowd packs courtroom for teens’ AI child pornography sentencing
Updated: 12:59 PM EDT Mar 25, 2026
The deposition hearing for two former Lancaster Country Day students involved in an artificial intelligence child pornography case is still underway after more than two-and-a-half hours.Video above: Top stories, weather forecast from WGAL News 8.This comes after the two boys pleaded guilty two weeks ago. The hearing had to be moved to Courtroom One after so many people showed up that they could not fit in the original courtroom.Of the more than 50 victims, impact statements were given by 21 student victims, their parents, or read on their behalf.The recommendation for the boys is two years of probation under parental supervision, but some parents are calling for stricter punishment.Judge Leonard G. Brown III has yet to weigh in.Both students said they understood the charges against them and declined the opportunity to speak.
LANCASTER, Pa. —
The deposition hearing for two former Lancaster Country Day students involved in an artificial intelligence child pornography case is still underway after more than two-and-a-half hours.
Video above: Top stories, weather forecast from WGAL News 8.
This comes after the two boys pleaded guilty two weeks ago.
The hearing had to be moved to Courtroom One after so many people showed up that they could not fit in the original courtroom.
Of the more than 50 victims, impact statements were given by 21 student victims, their parents, or read on their behalf.
The recommendation for the boys is two years of probation under parental supervision, but some parents are calling for stricter punishment.
Judge Leonard G. Brown III has yet to weigh in.
Both students said they understood the charges against them and declined the opportunity to speak.