A 35-year-old Middle River man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to sexually abusing minors and producing child pornography between February and August of last year. His fiancée is scheduled for trial on similar charges in December.
Investigators found more than 600 images of pornography "involving prepubescent children and sadomasochistic conduct" after raiding the home of John Fred Nicklas IV and Shannon Leigh Honea last year on the 9700 block of Conmar Road, according to court records and the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office.
One video showed Honea holding a year-old infant while Nicklas sexually abused the baby. Others show Nicklas sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl, and young girls changing into bathing suits, exposing their genitalia. Nicklas faces between 50 and 60 years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for Jan. 27.
"All child sexual abuse cases are troubling, but this is one of the worst," Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in a statement.
Honea is charged with six counts of sexually exploiting a minor in order to produce pornography, conspiracy to do so and possession of child porn. Her trial is set to begin Dec. 13.