Century behind bars

STAUNTON — A judge Thursday sentenced a Stuarts Draft man to 100 years in prison for making and trading child pornography, some of which depicted a toddler.

“I recognize this is for all intents and purposes a life sentence,” said Judge Victor V. Ludwig. “And that is exactly what I intend it to be.”

Scott Forrester, 40, strained against tears while listening to his mother describe his fatherless and discipline-prone childhood. Then he apologized.

“I’ve seen some evil things and I’ve been a part of some evil things and I don’t ever want to hurt anybody ever again,” said Forrester, who has enrolled in faith-based and substance abuse classes at Middle River Regional Jail. “I’m sorry.”

Forrester’s statement Thursday stood at odds with that given to authorities at the time of his April 7 arrest.

“Child pornography, my ass,” Forrester allegedly told investigators, according to investigator Brian Jenkins of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office.

The Alexandria-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped the Internet Crimes Against Children task force to pornographic uploads by Forrester last March.

A search of the home of Forrester’s mother on December Drive in Waynesboro turned up 28,927 images and 122 movies, resulting in 97 charges of possessing, producing and distributing child pornography.

Authorities said they’d never seen a case like Forrester’s.

“There’s no comparison,” Jenkins said.

Authorities seized a camcorder, a digital camera and two computers used to upload images and several items seen in photographs, including garments, a blanket and a doll.

Forrester took 13 photographs of a toddler and eight others of a teenage girl and distributed nine images – including one in which he appeared — online. He was charged with possessing 67 other images. He pleaded guilty to all charges in September after Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Rupen Shah took nearly 20 minutes to enter dozens of images into evidence.

Sentencing guidelines recommended as many as 107 years in prison. Shah asked for a 139-year sentence because of physical harm done to the toddler depicted in the images.

Ellen Forrester, the defendant’s mother, said her son has long had trouble with authority figures and alcohol, but has turned to the Bible since being incarcerated.

“He’s really guilt-ridden about what he’s done,” she said.

Ludwig said he hopes treatment will help the defendant, but that few things are of greater importance than protecting children.

“The two children I saw in the photographs,” Ludwig said, “were at risk in the most horrific way.”