LIVERPOOL Man Admits Guilt in All Saints Child Porn Case, Then Backs out of Plea Deal

By John O'Brien
Syracuse.com
May 2, 2016

http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/05/liverpool_man_faces_up_to_550_years_in_prison_in_all_saints_child_porn_case.html

Jason Kopp in a 2007 photo. (Chrissie Cowan | The Post-Standard)

A Liverpool man admitted today that he sexually exploited three children to make child pornography, but wouldn't acknowledge a prosecutor's detailed accounting of the crimes.

James Kopp, 40, entered guilty pleas to 22 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography in a court appearance before U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby.

Then the judge asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Fletcher to state the evidence the government would've presented against Kopp at trial. She read a lengthy "offer of proof," going into detail about Kopp's alleged crimes.

Suddaby asked Kopp if he admitted to everything Fletcher read. Kopp's lawyer, Randi Bianco, said he was still willing to plead guilty, but would not admit to the details.

Suddaby would not allow Kopp's guilty plea to stand without a full admission of guilt.

"He either did it or he didn't," the judge said. "Or we can set a trial date."

Bianco said she objected to a portion of the offer of proof that referred to the charges against Kopp's co-defendant, Emily Oberst.

The judge chastised Bianco for not working that out before coming to court.

"Don't come in here, prepared to enter into a plea agreement and not make a factual admission," Suddaby said.

He adjourned the case to May 10.

Kopp was accused in a federal grand jury indictment last month of working with Oberst, an aide at All Saints Elementary School and daycare center, to take photos of children in sexually explicit positions.

Oberst, 23, of Syracuse, is scheduled to go to trial in August.

The victims were a 16-month-old girl, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy.

One of the victims was a student at All Saints, according to sources. The FBI found naked photos of that child in a school bathroom at the school, the sources said.

All Saints fired Oberst after her arrest in March.

Oberst, of Syracuse, met Kopp online and the two were seeing each other romantically, sources said.

Contact: jobrien@syracuse.com