Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SOUTH BEND - A Cromwell man was found guilty of 14 child pornography offenses Thursday in U.S. District Court.
Joseph R. Secrest, 49, of Cromwell, also was found guilty of one count of obstruction. The pornography charges include producing, possessing and mailing child pornography. He faces a maximum of 450 years in prison.
The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated about three hours before returning its verdicts. The trial began Tuesday and ended with closing arguments Thursday morning. The defense attorney, Mark S. Lenyo, did not present any witnesses.
The jury found Secrest guilty of taking pornographic pictures and videos of three minor girls in 1997, mailing the film to Seattle and having pornographic negatives and photographs in his residence. The obstruction charge resulted after Secrest told his wife to destroy a videotape during the criminal investigation.
An investigation into Secrest's activities was undertaken after an employee of Seattle Film Works, where the film was sent for processing, contacted postal authorities because of the content of the film.
Among those testifying during the prosecution's case were the girls in the pictures and Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department Detective Sgt. Tom Brindle.
Secrest currently is serving an eight-year prison term from a 1998 Kosciusko County conviction for incest.
