Former foster parent and teacher sentenced for child porn
Gregg Larsen abused the trust placed in him by abusing children placed in his care. For that, he will serve 25 years.
By James Walsh
A former school teacher and foster care provider was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for producing and possessing child pornography.
Gregg Alan Larsen, 49, of Minneapolis, admitting to creating child pornography using children in his care. He admitted to two incidents, in April and July 2006, in which he took digital photographs of a child younger than 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Larsen said he intended to distribute those images over the Internet.
In addition, Larsen acknowledged that on July 1, 2009, he possessed eight video files containing child pornography as well as more than 600 images of child pornography. Those items were kept on Larsen's home computer.
"A legal system that would not send you to prison for a long time is a legal system that society could not respect," U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen told Larsen during sentencing.
Larsen was licensed as a Hennepin County foster parent in 2000 and remained in the program until the county moved to revoke his license this summer. Six children had been placed with him. Larsen admitted he created child porn using children he was supposed to protect and care for.
He began working for the St. Paul school district in 2003 and had been a special education teacher at Central High School.
Larsen was sentenced following remarks by one of his adopted sons and by the father of one of his victims, who spoke of how he abused their trust.
It was a point that U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones reiterated after the sentencing.
"As a teacher and foster parent, the defendant was a trusted member of the school district and the community. As stated in court, he violated that trust by preying on innocent children," Jones said. "Such behavior will not be tolerated, as evidenced by the sentence imposed this morning."
James Walsh • 612-673-7428