LOS ANGELES – An Antelope Valley man who admitted that he used his camera phone to make videos while he molested a 3-month-old relative was sentenced Tuesday to more than 20 years and 10 months in federal prison.
Robert Dale Schrader, 34, Littlerock, was communicated with a law enforcement officer in England and sent the officer sexually explicit images of an infant, and data embedded in those images led to an investigation, officials said.
On January 29, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Schrader’s residence, where they rescued the infant who had been molested. Authorities discovered approximately 200 child pornography images and videos depicting the baby.
During the investigation, authorities uncovered evidence that Schrader also molested at least two other victims, a 12-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy.
Authorities said Schrader currently faces additional charges that have been filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Schrader “repeatedly sexually abused his three-month-old [relative],” federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.
“He found online communities of like-minded individuals and bragged to them about his exploits with children, sharing his photographic trophies with them in hopes of obtaining similar child pornography in exchange. In this way, defendant emboldened and encouraged other individuals to also molest children, and also produce child pornography,” the memo stated.
Schrader told Judge Gary Feess there was a connection between looking at online child pornography and his actually molesting children, according to officials. Officials said Schrader described how viewing child pornography created for him a link between children and sexual desire, ultimately leading him to molest children and produce child pornography.