Mom sentenced to 25 years for producing child pornography

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia judge sentenced a New Jersey woman to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography.

The woman, whose name was not reported in order to protect the identity of the victim, her daughter, now 10, was sentenced Wednesday for sending sexually explicit photos and videos of her then 7-year-old daughter to her boyfriend in 2010, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The photos and videos were then distributed worldwide, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg sentenced the woman to 25 years in prison -- more than the 20 to 24 years sought by the prosecution.

"I can't ignore the overwhelmingly despicable violation of trust that occurred here," Goldberg said, "where a mother facilitated a situation which allowed a child predator to ruin the life of a 7-year-old."

An investigation into the woman began when Australian police arrested a man there with photos of the girl. The photos linked back to the woman and her boyfriend, Patrick Mergen.

Earlier this year, Goldberg sentenced Mergen to 25 years in prison as well.