Former University of Richmond men's tennis coach Steven Gerstenfeld pleaded guilty Feb. 25 to one count of attempted receipt of child pornography.
He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine and supervised release after prison for at least five years up to life. He will be sentenced May 22.
A federal grand jury indicted Gerstenfeld, 47, on Sept. 16 on one count of knowingly receiving child pornography.
Federal investigators obtained records from PayPal showing that from October 2006 to March 2007, Gerstenfeld subscribed to at least six member-restricted Web sites that were distributing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
During those transactions, he provided his university e-mail address to PayPal.
On Oct. 23, 2007, investigators with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the University of Richmond Police Department obtained a federal search warrant to search Gerstenfeld's office at Richmond, where they seized his desktop computer, court documents show.
An analysis of the computer turned up between 300 and 600 pornographic images, the attorney's documents say.
Gerstenfeld's trial was set to begin March 2 and would have lasted approximately three days, according to Gerstenfeld's attorney, Debra Corcoran. She declined to comment on the plea agreement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States, was not immediately available for comment.
Contact reporter Nick Mider at nick.mider@richmond.edu
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Support independent student media
You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the button below, which takes you to our secure PayPal account. The page is set up to receive contributions in whatever amount you designate. We look forward to using the money we raise to further our mission of providing honest and accurate information to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the general public.
Donate Now
