Man pleads guilty in child-porn case

A La Verkin man is facing a mandatory five-year prison sentence after admitting to downloading dozens of images of child pornography off the Internet.

Terence D. William, 53, appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday to enter a guilty plea to one count of receiving child pornography. William was arrested and charged last August as part of a nationwide sting on a Web site based out of Orlando, Fla., that sold images of child pornography.

The federal investigation netted more than 125 people who allegedly subscribed to the Web site, including three Utah men. A St. George man and a Midvale man are also facing child-pornography possession charges.

In court Monday, William admitted to downloading between 10 and 150 images of children engaged in sexual acts.

U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell ordered a psycho-sexual evaluation before William is sentenced on March 6. When sentenced, he faces a mandatory five years, and up to 30 years, in prison.

In exchange for his guilty plea, federal prosecutors dropped an additional possession charge and will recommend that William be given credit for accepting responsibility.