Woman pleads to making child porn
Published 10:10 am Monday, January 27, 2020
A Kentucky mother who admitted making sexually explicit videos with her toddler daughter will likely serve at least 15 years in federal prison.
Paige Cagle, 26, of Lexington, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to using a minor in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
According to court documents, Cagle admitted to sexually abusing the child on multiple occasions, including three times in Clark County and twice when she lived in Missouri. Each of those times, Cagle made videos, which were then shared online via Dropbox.
According to an affidavit from Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Michael H. Romagnoli, the investigation began in Missouri after a local suspect obtained explicit images and a video from a friend who used to live there. The friend was eventually identified as Cagle,
Investigators located Cagle in Lexington on Feb. 22, 2019. In an interview, she reportedly admitted to making explicit videos with her young daughter while she was staying at her grandmother’s house in Clark County.
Cagle said she possessed explicit images of other female children ranging in age from 4 to 13.
“There is no matter of greater importance to law enforcement than protecting innocent children from being violated and abused during the production of child pornography,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, in a statement. “This investigation and prosecution ensures for the foreseeable future that the defendant will not be able to continue to physically victimize her children.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Cagle is facing a mandatory 15 year prison sentence with a maximum sentence of 30 years, plus a fine of up to $250,000.
She is scheduled to be sentenced April 30.