Woman admits to child porn charges
The first woman to be charged with child pornography in Nevada's federal justice system pleaded guilty Monday to receiving pornographic videos and images on her computer.
"I had images on my computer that contained sexual conduct between adults and children underage," Susan Dean said Monday during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Robert Jones.
As a result of a plea deal with the U.S. Attorneys office, a second charge of possession of pornography was dropped.
Jones said Dean possessed 200 pictures and 80 videos on her computer. According to prosecutors, the victims were under 12 years old. Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's pornography division said this is the first time their office has prosecuted a woman on child pornography charges.
Las Vegas police visited Dean's home in November 2005 after called to perform a welfare check on her sons, who were 12 and 14 years old at the time, according to court records. Dean's sister told police that she had child pornography on her computer, Jones said in repeating the claims outlined in the indictment.
Dean told officers she engaged in Internet sex, but not with children. She allowed officers to access her computer files, where they found the pornographic images. Dean was reluctant to enter the plea agreement but said she feared a more stringent sentence if she went to trial and lost.
Dean, who will be sentenced July 27, faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. She could receive up to 20 years in prison with lifelong supervised release.
