Coach Who Photoshopped Girl Into Child Porn Sentenced To Probation
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Brooklyn Park volleyball coach will serve five years of probation for photoshopping a family friend's face onto a child pornography image, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
James Ferdig, 41, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on Sept. 29.
In addition to the five years probation, he must also spend 240 days in the Hennepin County workhouse, register as a sex offender and undergo sex offender treatment in the sentence handed down Tuesday.
A criminal complaint states that officials began investigating Ferdig last year.
In August of 2013, officers executed a search warrant and seized a computer and other items belonging to Ferdig. When police spoke with him, he admitted to having child porn on his computer.
A forensic examination on his devices found various images of child porn, many of them portraying known victims, the complaint said.
Officials also found images of a girl who was a family friend of Ferdig's. The victim had been photo-shopped in images so it appears she was engaging in sex acts.
At the sentencing, supporters of the victim packed the courtroom and the girl's mom and dad gave victim impact statements.