Last of Pa. trio convicted in child porn case
Maryclaire DaleA woman undressed and posed young children at a baby sitter's home so her ex-boyfriend could photograph them, jurors concluded Thursday in a massive child-pornography case that ended with three convictions.
The woman, Dorothy Prawdzik, was convicted on 15 counts of aiding and abetting. The ex-boyfriend, John Jackey Worman, was convicted Wednesday of more than 50 child-pornography counts.
Worman, 41, also sexually abused eight of the children, including three infants, one just 3 months old, prosecutors said. He is awaiting a state trial on those charges.
Baby sitter Concetta Jackson, 45, another ex-girlfriend of Worman, pleaded guilty earlier to one count of manufacturing child pornography.
The seven-day trial was emotionally difficult for jurors, who were asked to view what prosecutors called "excruciating" images. Many jurors had to look away, but Worman remained focused on the monitor at the defense table, a prosecutor noted.
Prawdzik, 44, participated under duress after physical and emotional threats from Worman, with whom she has a child, said her lawyer, Steven Laver.
Both defendants are considering appeals, their lawyers said. They face a minimum 15 years in prison each when they are sentenced on Dec. 18.
Worman had more than 1 million pornographic images on his computers when he was arrested in 2006 after one of the victims notified police. Federal investigators with years of experience in child-exploitation cases called it the most horrifying case of their careers. The oldest victims were in their teens.