Ex-Wharton professor Scott Ward pled not guilty yesterday to charges of producing, importing and possessing child pornography.
Ward was arraigned at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., after being indicted on Wednesday. He remains in federal custody in Virginia.
Producing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison in Virginia. Importation of child pornography carries maximum of 20 years, and possession of child pornography carries up to 10 years.
During the hearing, Ward lawyer Peter Greenspun acknowledged that Ward received the indictment and asked for a trial by jury, prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerald Smagala said.
Ward's trial date is set for Feb. 26, and it will be held in Alexandria.
Prior to this, Ward's lawyer will file a defense motion, which is scheduled to be heard in court Jan. 19. Motions hearings generally address issues raised by the defense about the trial.
Though the prosecutors do not yet know what motions the defense will file, Smagala said that they are usually intended "to limit the amount of evidence available in the case."
Greenspun has not returned repeated calls for comment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmund Power, who is also prosecuting the case, said that Ward's lawyer waived his client's right for a speedy trial due to a scheduling conflict.
Under normal circumstances, the trial would have to start within 70 days of the
arraignment.
This trial will only address the charges brought in Virginia.
Ward faces additional charges in Pennsylvania stemming from the discovery of alleged child pornography in his Huntsman Hall office in September. Investigators reportedly found a CD containing over 80 images of sexual acts between a man believed to be Ward and a teenage boy.
Until these most recent charges, Ward remained on Penn's faculty despite prior trials on allegations that he solicited sex from an undercover state trooper posing as a minor and engaged in sexual acts with a minor.
He never served jail time as a result, though he did once enter a plea that, while not admitting guilt, did admit there was enough evidence to convict him.
Ward has been informed by the University administration that he will not be teaching at Penn in the future.
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