Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Man Sentenced in Child Pornography Case

A former probation officer and Canyon Country resident has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and a $50,000 fine for producing child pornography in Thailand, authorities said.

Glenn Alan Nelson, 46, admitted to traveling to Thailand in November, 1991, and photographing four boys under the age of 18 engaged in sexual activity, U. S. Atty. Nora Manella said in a prepared statement. Police officials who arrested Nelson said he was part of an extensive underground network that traded pictures and videotapes of minors engaged in sexual acts.

Nelson received the sentence Friday after pleading guilty March 14 to six counts of producing child pornography. U. S. District Court Judge Manuel Real also ordered Nelson be under a three-year period of supervised released when his prison term is completed.

Nelson could have received between roughly eight to 10 years in federal prison, said Assistant U. S. Atty. Debra Yang. He was indicted on 29 counts, many of which were dropped because as part of the plea bargain. The plea did not significantly affect Nelson’s sentence because he would have served many of the counts concurrently.

Nelson is a former Los Angeles County probation officer who spent the last two years of his 15-year career at the Camp Scudder juvenile probation camp in Saugus, working with 16- to 18-year-old boys. Officials at the camp said none of the boys there were involved in the pornography.

Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department searched Nelson’s house June 2, 1992, finding the pictures he took in Thailand as well as other child pornography. However, he fled the area before officials could find and arrest him.

Nelson was listed as one of the 10 most wanted fugitives by the U. S. Customs Service between July, 1992, and February, 1994. He was arrested in February in Joplin, Mo., where he had tried to throw investigators off his trial by using a false name, changing his hair color and growing a beard.