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SALT LAKE CITY — A southern Utah woman took sexually explicit images of an 18-month-old child in her home and sent them to a New York man she met online, according to federal prosecutors.
Mary Jean Royce, of Beaver, faces federal child pornography charges for allegedly making videos and taking photos of herself sexually abusing the child. According to court documents, Royce took the images at the request of Brian A. Whitney, of Rochester, New York, a man with whom she texts and video chats.
“Royce admitted to recording ‘two or three’ videos of her relative being sexually abused,” according to an information filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. “Royce said Brian Whitney kept encouraging her to record more videos of Royce abusing her relative.”
During an interview with police in New York, Whitney admitted to receiving child pornographic images and videos from Royce through Facebook, court documents say.
Royce is charged with production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Whitney is charged with production of child pornography.