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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- by John Boitnott, Web ProducerA former NASA engineer convicted of possessing child pornography on a government computer has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Mark Charles Zelinsky, 57, of San Bruno, pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2007.
In August 2005, Zelinsky was employed as an engineer at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) in Moffett Field, California. Zelinsky no longer works at Ames.
According to the plea agreement, Zelinsky admitted that while employed at NASA, he used his NASA government computer to download from the Internet visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Zelinsky admitted to possessing over 600 images of child pornography, including images depicting prepubescent minors. Zelinsky also admitted that two of the child pornography images he possessed portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct.
This is the second man NASA officials have accused of collecting child porn on a government computer at Ames.
Christopher Burt Wiltsee, 57, of Morgan Hill, was indicted on Sept. 26 and charged with one count of possessing images of child pornography on the computer.
The office of U.S. Attorney P. Russoniello announced Wednesday that U.S. District Court Judge James Ware handed down the decision.
In addition to sentencing Zelinsky to serve 36 months in federal prison, Judge Ware ordered that the defendant be placed on a term of supervised release for seven years following his release from prison and that he register as a sex offender.
The investigation was conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Office of the Inspector General
Other Former Engineer Had Similar Charges
According to the indictment and his plea agreement, in June 2005, Wiltsee, is also no longer a federal employee.
In pleading guilty, Wiltsee admitted that, while employed at NASA, he used his government computer to download child pornography from the Internet.
Wiltsee admitted to possessing more than 600 images, including ones depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct, as well as images involving prepubescent minors.
After the plea, Wiltsee was taken into custody of U.S. Marshals.
Wiltsee is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4 before United States District Judge Jeremy Fogel, in San Jose.
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