A federal appeals panel has upheld a 20-year prison sentence for a 73-year-old man convicted of producing child pornography, despite his argument that the sentence was unreasonable.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the sentence for Emory James Zastrow, who pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. Zastrow was accused of taking sexually explicit photographs of a young child who was a family friend.
For the crime, the mandatory minimum sentence was 15 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines recommended 210 to 262 months in jail.
Zastrow argued that the court didn't sufficiently consider his age, medical condition, remorse and lack of criminal history. The 8th Circuit upheld Zastrow's 20-year sentence, saying it was "procedurally sound."
"The mere fact that Zastrow believes he should have received the mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months is not, in itself, a sufficient ground for reversal," the opinion said.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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