Man pleads guilty to child porn charge

A Camarillo man pleaded guilty last week to possession of child pornography. Eric Victoria, 31, could face up to a year in jail and a fine of $5,000, the Ventura County district attorney's office said.

Victoria, who was arrested and charged in April, had been released after posting bail of $10,000. He entered a guilty plea Oct. 3 to one misdemeanor count of possession of child pornography.

Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise said Victoria was charged before a Sept. 20 change in the law. The law now allows prosecutors the option of charging violators with a misdemeanor or a felony.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department and the

Southern California High Tech Task Force began investigating Victoria early this year after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Victoria consented to a search of his computer after investigators went to his home in February.

Despite Victoria's attempts to use a wiping program to eliminate any illegal images, a task force forensic examiner was able to retrieve child pornography Victoria had downloaded from the Internet and copied to a CD or DVD, according to the district attorney's office.

Victoria is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 17.

- Michelle Knight