SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A man caught with child pornography at the Salt Lake City International Airport has been sentenced to more than five years in prison by a judge who said he had to send a signal to deter others from similar crimes.
Kevin McMahan of Petaluma, Calif., triggered suspicions May 31, 2007, when a lighter was found in his carry-on bag as he tried to fly to Los Angeles. Authorities found 46 DVDs in his checked-in luggage that held child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Dee Benson on Wednesday also sentenced McMahan, who will have to register as a sex offender, to 30 years of supervised release.
McMahan's attorney, L. Clark Donaldson argued a sentence of two years in prison would be sufficient.
McMahan told the judge he now realizes that downloading child porn is not a victimless crime.
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Information from: Deseret News
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
