Former state official pleads guilty to porn
TAMPA (AP) – A former spokesman for Florida’s child welfare agency has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography, less than a week before he was expected to stand trial.
Al Zimmerman entered the plea Wednesday morning. A sentencing date has been set for April 23. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.
Zimmerman was arrested in February and accused of taking photos of at least two teenage boys for distribution overseas. He was fired by the Department of Children & Families.
One of the boys has been identified as a foster child of Zimmerman’s agency.
New charges, including receiving and possessing child pornography, had recently been handed up.