Logan man pleads guilty to child porn charges

SALT LAKE CITY — A Logan man arrested in what investigators called one of their most severe cases of child pornography they have seen pleaded guilty to a federal charge Thursday.

Douglas Scott Bessinger, 47, admitted to one count of distribution of child pornography in U.S. District Court. A child pornography possession charge was dropped as part of a plea bargain. Prosecutors and Bessinger's attorney also negotiated a prison sentence of 135 months. Judge Tena Campbell agreed to the sentence but has the right to change it if she finds it unreasonable after reading a pre-sentence report about Bessinger. In that case, he could withdraw his plea. Sentencing is scheduled for March 3, 2011.

Bessinger, who investigators say used the screen name "knotdboi," admitted to transmitting images of pre-pubescent children engaged in sexually explicit activity to California via Skype. He also admitted to having as many as 600 images of child porn on his computer.

Cache County sheriff's detectives arrested Bessinger at his home in July after acting on a tip from an out-of-state informant. Authorities seized still and video cameras, two computers, a webcam and VHS tapes, CDs and DVDs containing child porn, according to court documents.

Bessinger was charged in state court with 40 counts of child exploitation. Those charges were dismissed when the case was moved to federal court.

— Dennis Romboy