Hammond man to plead guilty to possessing child pornBy Marisa Kwiatkowski
marisa.kwiatkowski@nwi.com, (219) 662-5333 | Posted: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 5:00 pm
HAMMOND | A Hammond man agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to possessing child pornography, federal court records state.
Hugh Payne, 64, was charged last year after his adult daughter reported him. She said told authorities she believed her father's interest in watching porn contributed to his failed marriage.
Payne's daughter allegedly found disturbing videos of children playing at a church in which the person operating the camera had zoomed in on the children's crotches. The video appeared to have been taped from Payne's bedroom window, the woman told police.
She said she confronted him about watching it on her computer and found stacks of DVDs with footage of children performing sexual acts on other children and adults.
Hammond police executed a search warrant in March and recovered about 50 DVDs containing pornography, including some with sex involving animals. Five DVDs were recovered containing child pornography in about 44 scenes — more than 16 1/2 hours of footage.
In return for Payne's guilty plea, federal prosecutors will agree to recommend leniency at his sentencing, according to the plea agreement.
Payne will have to register as a sex offender, pay restitution to victims and cooperate with the government's investigation, records state. He also will agree to forfeit the computer and equipment officers seized during the investigation.