BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — It took less than half a day for a six-person jury to return a guilty verdict convicting a Bridgeport man of first-degree possession of child pornography, according to a release from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice.
Paul Sykes, a 54-year-old computer repairman, was found guilty of possessing more than 50 images of child pornography, according to prosecutors, who said that a representative from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children testified that at least 12 of the children were positively identified.
Prosecutors said Sykes is currently serving the eight-year balance of a 20-year sentence for violating his prior probation on previous possession of child pornography and sexual assault on child charges.
In addition to NCMEC, six witnesses were called by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Tiffany Lockshier; they included, but were not limited to, Connecticut State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children Forensic Laboratory, according to prosecutors.
“The jury worked through difficult and shocking evidence to reach an appropriate verdict,” Lockshier said, in the release.
State’s Attorney Joseph Corradino said in the release that various law enforcement agencies cooperated to bring the case to a close. He praised the people in the court room as well.
“Lockshier, the witnesses and the jurors are to be commended for dealing with such traumatizing material with professionalism and dispassionate attention to a very unpleasant task,” Corradino said, in the release.
Sykes faces an additional 20 years consecutive to his current sentence when he is sentenced on July 24, prosecutors said.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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