Ex-Disney Executive Gets Probation In Sex Case
Will Serve Nine-Month House Arrest, Help Government
By Randy Dotinga
Originally published at APBnews.com, Aug. 10, 2000
LOS ANGELES (APBnews.com) — A former Disney Go Network executive was sentenced to five years probation after he admitted to flying to California to seduce a 13-year-old girl who was actually an undercoverFBI agent.
As part of a plea bargain, Patrick Naughton will pay a $20,000 fine and will serve nine months under house arrest with electronic monitoring. He was sentenced Wednesday.
Naughton will be allowed to use a computer at his home, although he is forbidden from visiting sexually oriented chat rooms. He had earlier agreed to help the government design software programs to target online sex offenders.
Naughton is not allowed unapproved contact with children. He will also undergo counseling.
As part of the deal, Naughton admitted that he traveled across state lines in order to commit a crime.
Chat room 'dad&daughtersex.log'
In September 1999, he traveled from his home in Seattle to Santa Monica, near Los Angeles, to meet a person he met online. He thought she was a blonde, 110-pound, 5-foot-tall girl, but "she" was actually a male undercover FBI officer.
According to a federal affidavit, Naughton used the screen name "hotseattle" and entered a chat room called "dad&daughtersex.log." There, he flirted with the undercover agent and said he wanted to have a sexual encounter.
The affidavit also said that Naughton told the agent to check the Web site of Forbes magazine to see a picture of him.
Donald Marks, Naughton's attorney, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Could have received 35 years
Naughton's lengthy court proceedings attracted national attention because of his prominent positions in the Internet industry. He formerly headed the Disney Company's online projects and worked as an executive vice president for Infoseek, a major search engine company. He was fired after he was charged.
In December, a federal jury convicted Naughton of possessing child pornography. But the jury was divided on two other charges—crossing state lines to have sex with a minor and using the Internet to lure a minor.
If convicted of all charges, he could have faced 35 years in prison.
Will help 'protect children'
A federal appeals court threw out the child pornography law, which was used to convict Naughton, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles. A judge overturned Naughton's conviction because of the concerns about the law's constitutionality.
The U.S. Attorney's office is satisfied with the plea bargain, Mrozek said.
"We believe Naughton has provided us with substantial assistance that will help us further protect children who use the Internet."
