{"id":13559,"date":"2015-07-12T21:52:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-13T04:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=13559"},"modified":"2015-07-12T21:52:00","modified_gmt":"2015-07-13T04:52:00","slug":"counselor-sentenced-to-35-years-for-sexually-exploiting-six-week-old-baby-news-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=13559","title":{"rendered":"Counselor Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Exploiting Six-Week-Old Baby (News Video)"},"content":{"rendered":"

MARYLAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Schaffner-Lutts\"<\/a>
Stephen H. Schaffner (L); Michael Lutts (R)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A federal judge sentenced a 35-year-old man to 35 years in prison for sexually exploiting\u00a0a six-week-old baby who was born prematurely, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz<\/strong> sentenced Stephen H. Schaffner,<\/strong> 35, of Greensboro, Maryland, Friday to 35 years in prison.<\/p>\n

Judge Motz also ordered that Schaffner register as a sex offender.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe defendant was caught because in 2014, police were still able to obtain a warrant and find images on a cell phone,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein<\/strong>. \u201cCompanies now market encrypted devices that are immune from search warrants and allow pedophiles to molest children and trade photographs with little risk of detection, even when a federal judge finds that there is probable cause and issues a court order.”<\/p>\n

Adding “Law enforcement officials have a responsibility to alert law-abiding citizens about the consequences of \u2018Going Dark,\u2019 so they will not be surprised when police cannot obtain evidence of serious crimes.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to his plea agreement, for over four years, Schaffner was a licensed associate counselor in Arizona, providing behavioral health and education services for children ages 11-17 whose lives and family relationships were in crisis, or who were struggling with mental health or substance abuse challenges.<\/p>\n

\"courtroom_02\"Schaffner also worked as a clinician in Easton, for 18 months, providing individual and family mental health counseling, including treatment for children and for sex offenders.<\/p>\n

In 2011 and 2012, Schaffner attended trainings and conferences focused on the assessment, management and treatment of sex offenders.<\/p>\n

Oct. 30, 2012, Schaffner sent an adult counseling client inappropriate text messages of a sexual nature. In November 2012, Schaffner was fired from the practice where he worked and his license was later suspended.<\/p>\n

Schaffner admitted that beginning in 2004, he collected child pornography he obtained from the Internet.<\/p>\n

Thousands of images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct were located on digital devices, storage media and online accounts seized from Schaffner.<\/p>\n

In his electronic communications, officials said Schaffner repeatedly expressed a sexual interest in boys from \u201cage zero\u201d up and his desire to commit violent sexual abuse against infants, including making the children cry during the abuse and injuring or killing children in the course of sexual abuse.<\/p>\n

He discussed ways to ensure that the children did not report the abuse, including drugging or killing the children.<\/p>\n

According to his plea agreement, in late June 2014, Schaffner met Michael Lutts<\/strong> online. Lutts lived in California and worked as a pediatric nurse at a hospital in San Diego County.<\/p>\n

Schaffner and Lutts communicated electronically using their cellular phones.<\/p>\n

On Aug. 4, 2014, officials said Lutts brought home a six\u2013week-old baby boy, born prematurely, who was placed in his care as a foster child. Lutts texted images of the infant to Schaffner.<\/p>\n

Over the next several hours, Schaffner exchanged numerous graphic and sexually explicit messages with Lutts about Lutts sexually abusing the infant. Schaffner directed Lutts to sexually abuse the infant in specific ways, to produce photos and video that Lutts was to send to Schaffner, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

Lutts sent Schaffner images and videos with the infant, including images documenting the sexual abuse of the infant. Schaffner and Lutts also discussed Schaffner travelling to San Diego to rape the infant.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, the abuse of the infant was discovered when a federal investigation of individuals transmitting child pornography led authorities to obtain a search warrant for Lutts\u2019s residence in San Diego on Aug. 26, 2014.<\/p>\n

During that search, officials said law enforcement seized a cell phone that contained images and videos of Lutts sexually molesting the infant. Lutts pleaded guilty in federal court in the Southern District of California to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 13, 2015.<\/p>\n

(NBC 7 News TV 2014 Report)<\/p>\n

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