Australian investigation of Russian porn site lands Ogden man in prison

Australian investigation of Russian porn site lands Ogden man in prison

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SALT LAKE CITY — An Ogden man nabbed in an Australian undercover operation on a Russian photo-sharing site known for trading child pornography is heading to prison.

A federal judge sentenced Laron Thomas Zaugg, 50, to 15 years in prison this week after he pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. The judge also imposed lifetime probation after his release.

“This is a significant sentence for a child predator whose conduct represents a danger to children in our community,” U.S. Attorney John Huber said.

Zaugg admitted that he received images and videos of child pornography on his Yahoo email account from August to December 2014. The images included depictions of prepubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults.

The charges against Zaugg came after a Queensland Police Service undercover operation on a Russian child pornography photo-sharing site. More investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations led officers to Zaugg’s home.

Federal prosecutors filed 41 child exploitation cases in Utah last year, and 14 cases have been filed through March of this year, Huber said.

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Dennis Romboy

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