A former Texas preschool employee has pleaded guilty to contacting two underage boys on Snapchat and paying them $200 to record child pornography, prosecutors said.
Mark Penfield Eihorn, 27, a teacher's aide at St. John's Episcopal School in Abilene who was fired after his arrest in May, was accused of forcing 12- and 13-year-olds to film explicit material on Tuesday. admitted that. United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced.
The victims, a pair of friends from Georgia, told law enforcement that one of the boy's parents created a 90-second video for Aihon after noticing a suspicious amount of money in his bank account. I confided in. document obtained Revealed by KTAB.
Eichhorn admitted to knowing roughly the ages of the boys and sending them $200 via the Venmo app in exchange for the videos.
Federal agents testified that when asked about the Georgia children, Mr. Eichon replied, “Just those two?”
A guilty plea to producing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, but that is not the only charge he faces.
A search of Eichhorn's electronic devices not only uncovered multiple images of naked children believed to be under the age of 10, but the admitted groomer was also accused of sexually abusing a student in January. ,KTXS12 reported.
In this case, the child's mother reported the accusation to St. John's Episcopal School teacher Kelsey Alexander, who reported it to the school's principal, Rebecca McMillon, both of whom were Child Protective Services officials. or failure to notify law enforcement.
McMillon is accused of telling the alleged victim's parents that “nothing bad happened” and that Eicorn was only helping the child use the bathroom.
According to Abilene Reporter Newsfederal prosecutors alleged that Eichhorn: admitted Touching students inappropriately.
In June, additional child molestation charges were filed by the Taylor County District Attorney's Office against the disgraced former teaching assistant.
Mr. McMillon and Mr. Alexander were also arrested in July on charges of failing to report child abuse and were released on $8,000 bail.
If convicted, both school officials face up to a year in county jail and a $4,000 fine, the newspaper said.
