| MIDSHIPMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORN
CHARGES - GETS FIVE YEARS IN BRIG
MICHAEL POLLARD DISMISSED FROM NAVY - MAY
HAVE TO REPAY GOVT FOR ACADEMY EDUCATION
"I HAVE A TERRIBLE ILLNESS I COULDN'T CONTROL"
POLLARD ADMITS - ANNAPOLIS ROOMATE TURNS
HIM IN AFTER FINDING PORN ON COMPUTER
Michael Pollard grew up in a Navy family and wanted more than anything else to be a fighter pilot.
In his final year at the Naval Academy, Pollard was majoring in aeronautical engineering and looking forward to a long and satisfying military career.
Those dreams crashed in flames one night in February of 2007 when Pollard's roommate at Annapolis, Midshipman 1st Class Mikoto Yoshida, decided to log onto Pollard's computer to watch a TV show during a class break.
What he saw wasn't "The Waltons" or similar family fare. Instead Yoshida discovered a video file titled "Boy Party" and quickly reported his find to the authorities.
MIDSHIPMAN ADMITS COMPULSION TO VIEW CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Fast forward some 18 months later and Pollard is acknowledging his guilt and asking for mercy before a military judge, Navy Capt. Bruce MacKenzie. Sitting in the front row of the courtroom at the Washington Navy Yard is the midshipman's father, retired Navy Master Chief Michael Pollard Sr.
"Over the years, I've led a double life," the 23 year-old Pollard tearfully admitted. "I have a terrible illness (compulsion to view child porn) that I couldn't control."
The Apopka, Fla. man told the court he'd been looking at child pornography for years and had downloaded the illegal images onto his laptop computer while attending the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Rhode Island.
PLEA BARGAIN DEAL HEADS OFF LONG PRISON SENTENCE
A lot was at stake. Pollard faced up to 46 years in the brig. Prosecutors charged the defendant with possession and intent to distribute child pornography, making a false official statement, trying to impede an investigation, having porn on a second computer, etc.
So his civilian defense attorney tried to work out a deal for Pollard where he would accept dismissal from the service and receive a minimal amount of jail time. After the five year term was handed down, Larry Burch pointed out his client never had or sought sexual contact with children. Pollard is a sick man, the lawyer claimed, "a voyeur" with a terrible compulsion who didn't deserve such a "severe" sentence.
The jail term will likely be appealed and, when all is said and done, perhaps Pollard won't do the entire five-year stretch. But he and his family's finances will be severely depleted. Chances are he will have to repay the government some $100,000 for his Naval Academy education.
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