Liverpool Child Pornographer Faces 5 Centuries in Prison in All Saints Case

By Julie McMahon
Syracuse.com
May 20, 2016

http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/05/liverpool_child_pornographer_faces_5_centuries_in_prison_in_all_saints_case.html

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

A Liverpool man faces more than 500 years in prison for his admission today that he sexually exploited three children to make child pornography.

Jason Kopp, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby to taking sexually explicit photos of three children with help from an aide at All Saints Elementary School. At least one of the images was taken at the school, a source said. Kopp also possessed hundreds of lewd images and videos of other children.

Last week Kopp pleaded guilty to the charges, but Suddaby refused to accept his plea because he would not admit to a detailed account of his crimes.

Today, prosecutor Lisa Fletcher read the litany of Kopp's crimes, including detailed and graphic descriptions of how he took photos of children in lewd positions and photos of himself making sexual contact with an infant. He transmitted those photos through text messages, messaging applications and email.

Kopp today agreed that Fletcher's description of his crimes was accurate.

Kopp admitted in federal court to 22 felonies, each of which carries at least 20 years in prison:

For each of the 11 counts of sexually exploiting a child, Kopp faces up to 30 years in prison.

For each of the nine counts of distributing child porn and two counts of possessing child porn, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

For each of the charges, he also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.

Kopp is due back in court for sentencing on Sept. 14 at 10 a.m.

Kopp was charged in March along with 23-year-old Emily Oberst, who was at the time employed by the Syracuse parochial school and a daycare center. All Saints fired Oberst after her arrest.

Federal agents accused Kopp and Oberst of taking sexually explicit photos of a 16-month-old girl, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy.

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

Oberst is scheduled to go to trial in August. She and Kopp met online and dated, sources said.

Contact: jmcmahon@syracuse.com