Mansfield woman faces up to 120 years for producing explicit videos involving a child
A guard tower and razor wire at a prison in Texas. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
MANSFIELD, Texas - A Mansfield woman faces up to 120 years in federal prison after pleading guilty this week to producing sexually explicit videos of a child, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Federal prison for Mansfield woman
What we know:
Marisa Witkop, 31, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children. United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said Witkop was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.
According to court documents, Witkop produced four videos involving a 9-year-old child. Prosecutors said she distributed some of the material using a social media application.
Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.
What's next:
Witkop is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9 before Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means in Fort Worth.
Dig deeper:
The investigation was a joint effort between the U.S. Secret Service and the Mansfield Police Department.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to coordinate federal, state, and local resources to combat child sexual exploitation. Officials encourage the public to visit justice.gov/psc for more information on internet safety and resources for identifying and rescuing victims.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas.