Ex-prof Scott Ward gets 25-year sentence for child porn

Former Marketing professor Scott Ward was sentenced to 25 years in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to four counts of child pornography and one count of lying to the U.S. State Department

Ward, who was sentenced in the Federal District Court of Southeastern Pennsylvania, was arrested at Dulles International Airport in 2006 after a luggage search turned up child pornography on his laptop and on DVDs in his suitcase. A later search of his then-Huntsman Hall office revealed more porn.

In addition to receiving 25 years imprisonment, the sentence mandated that Ward pay $100,000 in restitution and remain on probation for life.

Ward is currently serving a 15-year sentence for similar charges. He entered the court yesterday in handcuffs and was embraced by his attorney Mark Sheppard.

The hearing was presided over by U.S. District Judge Petrese Tucker. Tucker delivered the sentence at around noon yesterday after hearing testimony from U.S. attorney Bea Witzleben and the defense.

The central point of debate revolved around the sentencing guidelines regarding the group of the crimes Ward committed.

The defense argued that three incidents related to the child pornography charges should be grouped as one incident when determining Ward’s sentence because they were “temporally related.”

But Witzleben argued the sentencing guidelines did not allow for this grouping and should be treated as three distinct incidents.

The defense further implored Tucker to adhere to justice in sentencing the “elderly” Ward, who at 66, would already be serving a minimum of 12 years from his previous sentence.

This single sentence was sufficient, the defense argued, and Ward should not be sentenced to prison time beyond these remaining 12 years.

Citing the arguments of Ward’s probation officer and a psychologist, the defense said that Ward’s “capacity for recidivism” — or the possibility that he would be a repeat offender — “is virtually nil,” especially in light of the psychological treatment he has been ordered to receive.

On the other hand, Witzleben cited the sentencing guidelines as evidence that Ward was eligible for 44 years of imprisonment, effectively a life sentence.

One witness, Federal Agent Richard Stingle, was called as a witness on behalf of the U.S. government.

The witness gave testimony primarily to the evidence he personally recovered at the time of Ward’s arrest in 2006.

The defense argued on behalf of Ward that he is not trying to escape justice, but complained the prosecution was “just piling on the punishment.”

Tucker ultimately decided Ward should serve a concurrent sentence of 25 years.

He will be 91 years old when he is released.

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