Made kid porn, defendant says in federal court
Photos found on cellphone
A Pulaski County man facing federal charges related to child pornography pleaded guilty Friday to one count of production of child pornography in connection with messages discovered on a Texas man’s cellphone in 2019.
Joshua Sweat, 30, of Jacksonville pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky, admitting that he sent nude images of a prepubescent boy in his care to 43-year-old Stone Chadwick, who was under investigation by authorities with the Allen Police Department’s Crimes Against Children unit in Collin County, Texas. According to a summary of facts in the case read by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant, Sweat’s involvement came to light when Chadwick’s cell phone was searched by Texas authorities who then notified a Little Rock police officer working with an FBI task force investigating crimes against children.
Rudofsky questioned Sweat at length regarding his fitness to proceed after learning that Sweat has been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and Asperger’s syndrome, a development disorder sometimes referred to as “high-functioning autism,” and was not receiving at least one of his prescribed medications.
“What medication is that?” asked Rudofsky.
“Adderall,” Sweat answered, saying it had been a long time since he had taken the medication but he wasn’t sure just how long.
“As long as he’s been in the Sheridan Detention Center he has not taken the Adderall,” said his attorney, Sonia Fonticiella. “It’s been at least a year.”
“They don’t prescribe it at the jail right now,” Sweat explained. “They said it’s a narcotic.”
After receiving assurances from Sweat and Fonticiella that Sweat’s mental state was sufficiently clear to understand the charge against him and what a guilty plea would entail, Rudofsky allowed the hearing to proceed.
After reading the charge contained in the indictment, Rudofsky advised Sweat of the potential penalty under U.S. sentencing statutes, telling him he would face a possible sentence ranging from 15 to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life on supervised release.
“A guilty plea in open court is the strongest proof known under the law,” Rudofsky told Sweat as he advised him of the rights he would surrender by pleading guilty.
Bryant said Sweat was working for a private school daycare at the time he sent nude photos of a small child in his care to Chadwick. She said the child was later identified as one of the children from the daycare. She said on April 12, 2019, Little Rock police detective Amber Kalmer was notified by police in Allen, Texas, that they had discovered messages and images implicating Sweat while searching Chadwick’s cell phone.
“During chats, Mr. Sweat advised he is caring for a little boy every day and began sending nude images of the child that appeared to be three to five years in age to Mr. Chadwick,” Bryant said.
Officers first went to Sweat’s home later that same day, then to a church in Lonoke County after being told he was attending a function there with his mother.
“During a Mirandized interview of Sweat he admitted there would be child pornography on his cell phone and said there were videos that depicted children under the age of 10 engaging in [sexual] intercourse,” Bryant said. “Mr. Sweat also admitted to babysitting the victim in the picture described and that he was approximately two years old.”
Bryant said Sweat told police that he took pictures of the victim that were sent to Chadwick in an office area of the school with the door closed while he was changing the child’s diaper.
After accepting Sweat’s guilty plea, Rudofsky explained to him that he will be sentenced several months from now following completion and review of a presentencing report to be completed by the U.S. Probation Office.