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Holt Parker, a 60-year-old former professor in Ohio, was arrested after he confessed of his addiction to child pornography last March. Now, Parker is sentenced to four years of imprisonment, the New York Post reports.
Parker, who taught classics focusing on ancient Greek and Roman sexuality in University of Cincinnati, had a three-hour trial Thursday in US District Court. He apologized to his wife, colleagues, and the victims.
In his letter to Judge Timothy Black, Parker wrote, “All I can do is testify that I was in thrall to an addiction as real and terrifying as anything I have ever experienced.”
Parker continued, “All I can offer I that I never saw and never would have looked at these files. If I had, I would have destroyed them instantly. I know this is no excuse.”
Parker tried to destroy a thumb drive containing at least 1,000 videos of child porn he downloaded from the Internet. He pleaded guilty for the crime last August.
When Parker claimed that he had no intentions to hurt any children and had always been kind to them, Black retorted, “He tells me he has no intent in hurting children. I believe him. But when he saw a little girl get raped, why didn’t that kindness kick in?”
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney, released a statement last August.
He said, “Child pornography is dangerous contraband, and possessing it is a serious crime. Prosecuting cases like this reflects our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to protect the most vulnerable.”
Parker used the email account daddy.cruel@yahoo.com to obtain, trade, and download sensitive materials from other sites and sources.
Paul Laufman, Parker’s attorney, argued that his client sought treatment a few weeks after he got arrested and hoped to continue getting help in prison.
Laufman said, “Dr. Parker is not a threat to society. His offense was an aberration from an otherwise admirable lifetime.”
Parker published an article in 2010 titled, “Studying Smut: Classics Professor Translates ‘Hermaphrodite.’” Parker stated that he’s interested in classic poet Antonio Beccadelli and his work surrounding hermaphrodites.
Parker also announced his plan to write a book called “Wives, Whores, Boys, and Slaves,” which he hinted that a musical could branch out from it.
