News
Clown pleads guilty to child porn charges
Published: Oct 10, 2003 - 04:30 PM
JUPITER, Fla. - A Sunday school teacher who dressed as Noodles the Clown to entertain children pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing child pornography downloaded from the Internet. David Deyo, 43, of Jupiter, was headed to trial when he accepted a plea bargain Wednesday to eight counts of manufacturing child pornography and one count of possessing it. He could receive up to 125 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
Deyo downloaded and arranged more than 100 pornographic pictures of underage girls.
Federal agents also said when they charged him in March that Deyo took sexually explicit digital pictures of at least one underage local girl.
Deyo told investigators he was "investigating" such criminal activity, court records show.
Deyo taught Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach and was a sort of unofficial photographer for the church. Deyo also assisted in a program for older elementary school children and sometimes performed as a clown for children.
In 1999, a woman accused Deyo of inappropriately touching her 6-year-old daughter while he was baby-sitting, Jupiter police said. The girl could not give a usable statement to investigators, but police have reopened the case, officials said.
Deyo was arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown on Internet child pornography called "Operation Candyman."
- Associated Press
Federal agents also said when they charged him in March that Deyo took sexually explicit digital pictures of at least one underage local girl.
Deyo told investigators he was "investigating" such criminal activity, court records show.
Deyo taught Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach and was a sort of unofficial photographer for the church. Deyo also assisted in a program for older elementary school children and sometimes performed as a clown for children.
In 1999, a woman accused Deyo of inappropriately touching her 6-year-old daughter while he was baby-sitting, Jupiter police said. The girl could not give a usable statement to investigators, but police have reopened the case, officials said.
Deyo was arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown on Internet child pornography called "Operation Candyman."
- Associated Press
