Former Dayton, Tn., Firefighter Given 292-Month Federal Sentence For Child Porn; Autistic Colorado Man Gets 90 Months

  • Monday, May 18, 2015

A former Dayton, Tn., firefighter was sentenced on Monday to serve 292 months in federal prison on child pornography charges.

Brian Lee Krzeczowski sank to his knees sobbing when the sentence was announced by Judge Sandy Mattice. "My life is over," he said.

Prosecutor Terra Bay called the 42-year-old Krzeczowski "a predator," saying he had contacted underage females and obtained nude photos from them, then used the pictures against them.

In a second child pornography case, Judge Mattice sentenced Phillip Passopulo to 90 months in prison in a case in which Cleveland, Tn., girls ages 11 and 14 were contacted. He had initially faced up to 20 years. However, the judge said the government had not filed an answer to a motion for a variance.

Anthony Martinez of the federal public defender's office said a psychiatric exam found that Passopulo has autism spectrum disorder. He said he is withdrawn and friendless and had turned his obsessiveness to Internet porn.

Acting under the alter ego of Max Aiken, he had contacted the girls about meeting him at the Cleveland Mall. Attorney Martinez said such a meeting did not take place.

The attorney, who sought a 60-month term for Passopulo said the defendant "was almost glad he got arrested. It put a stop to this madness - to this obsession."

He was found to have at least 1,000 images and 240 videos of child pornography.

He was ordered to pay $2,000 restitution to one victim and $1,000 to another.

There was no restitution request in the Krzeczowski case, but a 20-year-old woman told the judge, "I want him gone."

She said when she was 16 that Krzeczowski contacted her via the Internet. The overweight middle-aged Krzeczowski portrayed himself as an attractive youth. She said they began "dating" over the Internet and she sent him nude photos.

She said he later turned on her and posted the photos on her Facebook account. She said he also contacted officials of a school she attended concerning the pictures. She then went to police.

The girl said, "When I turned 18 he threatened to kill me. He stalked and harassed me for three years."

When agents searched the computer of Krzechzowski they found nude photos sent to him by another young girl.

Attorney Paul Bergmann said when Krzeczowski became overweight and could no longer work, he turned to the Internet.

He said he was deeply remorseful for his actions.

Judge Mattice said of the Krzeczowski  case that he is "a manufacturer of child pornography. Those are the people we punish most heavily if we can get our hands on them."

Krzeczowski told the judge, "I'm not the monster people say I am. I'm not a bad person. All I'm asking is a second change." Judge Mattice said the least he would have been able to go under federal law was 180 months - "certainly not what you're asking."

Krzeczowski was allowed to hug his mother, who is suffering from lung cancer, and his wife. Krzeczowski said he got into pornography when he and his wife were having problems, but he said they currently are "happily married."

Passopulo was allowed to hug his parents.

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