A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty today to child exploitation charges in federal court.
Austin Ayers Winther, 65, admitted to trying to lure what he thought was a mother and her 13-year-old daughter to Pennsylvania from Idaho to engage in illegal sexual activity, but they turned out to be undercover detectives from the Boise Police Department. Winther also admitted to four counts of trying to send pornography to a minor.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 13, 2012. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Winther could face between 6 and 1/2 and 8 years in prison, a $1.25 million fine, and five years supervised released.
Authorities busted Winther as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit minors via the Internet. The U.S. Department of Justice launched the initiative in May 2006.
