Duchesne County man pleads guilty to producing child porn

The owner of two religious bookstores in Roosevelt and Vernal pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Salt Lake City to producing child pornography.

Standing handcuffed and shackled in a blue jail uniform, Brad R. Gale spoke very little during the 45-minute change-of-plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart. Gale answered the judge's questions in a soft voice, sobbing as Stewart read the legal description of the offense that the 49-year-old was pleading guilty to.

Gale was indicted by a federal grand jury in September on three counts related to the production, distribution and possession of child pornography. In exchange for his guilty plea, the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to dismiss charges of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography against Gale.

The charges were brought after Gale turned over 25 Polaroid photos, depicting a 15-year-old boy in the nude or various stages of undress, to Roosevelt City police detectives in July. Authorities were looking into accusations by an Orem man that Gale had offered to let him have sex with a minor.

The investigation initially resulted in 33 felony counts being filed against Gale by the Duchesne County Attorney's Office. Prosecutors later dismissed 25 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a state charge, to allow for the federal prosecution.

Gale still faces eight felony charges in Duchesne County, including six first-degree counts that carry mandatory prison sentences. A jury trial is scheduled for early March 2007.

He is also charged in Utah County with two first-degree felonies after he was accused of having sex with the same teen at a Provo home in 2005. He has yet to make an initial court appearance for those charges.

Gale's plea Thursday means he will spend at least 15 years in federal prison, although Stewart warned him that the sentence he imposes at a hearing set for Feb. 8 could be longer.

---

E-mail: geoff@ubstandard.com