Former Davie Scoutmaster Admits Child Porn Charges As Trial Begins
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - It's a crime that makes your skin crawl; a boy scout volunteer, who spent hours among children, pleaded guilty Wednesday to more than 100 counts of possession of child pornography. But instead of the more than 100 years he agreed to serve, a judge decided Gary Morano will spend just 4 years behind bars.
The decision was made after Morano, a 66 year-old Davie man who had served as a Scout volunteer for 2 years, changed his mind about standing trial on charges he had 111 pieces of child porn in his possession when arrested in July 2010.
Jury selection was about to begin in the trial when Morano decided he wanted to change his plea to guilty.
The former scoutmaster struck a deal; one year for every child porn image, and Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Levenson sentenced him to 111 years, 11 months in prison.
Then, Levenson reduced that sentence, saying Morano could satisfy his sentence by serving 4 years, followed by 12 years probation as a sex offender, assuming he shows up in court to surrender March 26th.
Morano was arrested after investigators found he kept a computer in a rented building where he apparently went to view pornography.
He was arrested at his Davie home, and while he admitted the images were on his computer, he denied ever having sexual contact with a child.
Since March 2008 until the time of his arrest, Morano was a volunteer Boy Scout Leader and Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 183.
