A Pulaski County man who pleaded guilty to producing child pornography at a private school where he was employed was sentenced Monday to 90 years in federal prison by a judge who called his conduct "manipulative and deceptive" and said the conduct that led to his indictment "warrants the highest I can go."
Augustus David "Gus" Shenker, 23, of Little Rock, sat without expression during a three-hour hearing during which his attorney asked U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky to consider a 15-to-20 year sentence and a government prosecutor asked for the maximum sentence under the law.
Shenker pleaded guilty last December to three counts of production of child pornography in exchange for the dismissal of 20 other counts charging him with production, possession, and distribution of child pornography.
Shenker, who was working as a teacher's assistant at Miss Selma's School in Little Rock when he was arrested by the FBI, admitted to molesting children as young as 3 years old who were enrolled in the school.
According to court documents, Shenker told investigators he had a problem with child pornography between 2014 and 2016, but had overcome it. He denied having inappropriate contact with the students, telling the agents that he loved working at the school for the past four years.
"These kids will never be the same," said Rudofsky as he passed the sentence. "These kids will grow up thinking this was their fault because they trusted you ... This was your fault and nobody else's. You did this over and over and over again ... Your conduct warrants the absolute highest I can go."