Man sentenced in child porn case

A 58-year-old Glendale man was sentenced Friday to six months in jail and up to three years of probation for having child pornography on his home computer and for possessing an assault rifle, officials said.

Walter Loustari, an attorney based in La Cañada Flintridge, must surrender to authorities July 15 to begin his jail term and must also register as a sex offender, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan also restricted Loustari’s access to the Internet and interaction with minors, she said.

Loustari pleaded no contest in January to one felony count each of child porn possession and having an illegal assault rifle, setting the stage for his sentencing in March. That hearing was delayed.

He must also surrender all firearms and undergo one year of counseling under the sentence, Gibbons said.

Loustari was arrested in October following a federal investigation that began three years earlier.

At the time, he was the third Glendale man to be arrested in connection with the child porn investigation.

His attorney, Michael Shannon, could not be reached for comment.

Due to the felony charges, Loustari’s license to practice law will likely be suspended until a disciplinary panel with the California State Bar reviews the case, spokeswoman Kathleen Beitiks said.