A federal judge on Friday sent a pregnant woman to prison for eight years for distributing videos of infants and toddlers being raped and denied her request to give birth outside of prison.
The U.S. attorney’s office wanted Kaitlin Plascjak, whose due date is in November, locked up because of the sadistic nature of the pornography and online chats she had with the father of the child in which the two fantasized about abusing a baby.
Ms. Plascjak, her family and her public defender had asked for a five-year sentence and permission for her to have the baby before going to prison so she could “bond” with the newborn.
U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti sided with the government, and federal marshals led a weeping Plascjak away to the Allegheny County Jail, where she will remain until transfer to a federal facility.
“This is extremely troubling,” the judge said of the case.
Child porn prosecutions are routine in the federal system. But it’s rare for a woman to be charged with possession or distribution, especially of violent images of babies being sexually abused.
The judge said she could not give Plascjak the five years she wanted because the violent images she distributed were worse than the usual child porn seen in the courts.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” she said.
Plascjak, 30, of Imperial, was indicted in 2017 after an investigation by local authorities and the FBI. She pleaded guilty in May.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Smolar said she collected and distributed the porn online and also engaged in online chats with her boyfriend, the father of her unborn child, describing the sexual assault of an infant.
The boyfriend was present in court and wept after the proceeding, as did Plascjak’s mother and aunt, while marshals led her away.
Because of the chats and the porn, prosecutors were concerned about the welfare of the newborn.
Thomas Livingston, Plascjak’s public defender, had initially requested a postponement of the sentence so that Plascjak could give birth. Barring that, he wanted the prison term delayed so she could have the baby. He questioned the ability of the federal prison system to care for a pregnant woman, especially considering Plascjak’s history of mental illness and suicide attempts.
Her family said she had suffered from abuse in her childhood.
But Ms. Smolar argued against the delay and said the prison system is well-equipped to handle pregnant inmates through its Mothers and Infants Nurturing Together program.
Plascjak’s family will care for the baby, due Nov. 7.
Torsten Ove: tove@post-gazette.com.
First Published: August 31, 2018, 8:01 p.m.
