Oct 6, 2008 10:45 am US/Pacific
Ex-Teacher Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Possession
LOS ANGELES
-
-
David W. Hassler, 63, Monday changed his plea to guilty.
CBS
A former religious studies teacher charged with possession of child pornography Monday changed his plea to guilty at a hearing in a Los Angeles federal court.
Sentencing for David W. Hassler, 63, a former teacher at Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus in Pasadena, was set for Jan. 26.
Hassler, who had pleaded not guilty on Jan. 22, was arrested last November after a police search of his home uncovered numerous illegal images and videos stored on his computer, officials said. He has since resigned from the school, a Mayfield Senior School official said.
Hassler could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. He changed his plea to guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer.
The search of the teacher's home was part of Operation Predator, which seeks to identify, investigate and arrest child predators.
Since the program was launched five years ago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested more than 10,000 people, including more than 2,300 in California, authorities said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
