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She nervously rocked back and forth in her chair in federal court this afternoon, her face red, her teeth chattering, her eyes tearing up as she admitted to sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl she’d babysat and streaming live video of the attack over the Internet using Skype.
Jennifer Mahoney, a 33-year-old former waitress from Manalapan, admitted in federal court in Trenton that she had sexually abused the young girl in her parents’ home on multiple occasions last summer or fall — and that during an attack separate from the incident she streamed using the popular chat service, she recorded abuse on her iPhone and e-mailed it to a man in another state whom she knew as "Robert."
According to a graphic complaint filed in January, Mahoney allegedly talked and laughed while streaming one assault in which she performed oral sex on the girl.
As a result of Mahoney’s guilty plea to production of child pornography — in legal terms, the offense is "sexual exploitation of a child," according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s office — Mahoney now faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years.
"She’s numb," her lawyer, Herbert Ellis, said shortly after a more than two-hour hearing before U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper. "She cannot believe what’s happening to her. She’s upset with herself."
Ellis added that Mahoney feels "regretful" for the crime she committed against the young girl.
When asked about any mental problems in her past, Mahoney told the judge she previously had been treated for mental illness. It was not made clear what the illness was or the extent of it.
After the hearing, Ellis said Mahoney had told him she tried to kill herself six years ago, but the lawyer did not elaborate. He also said he is awaiting a report from a defense-hired psychiatrist who recently evaluated Mahoney.
Asked why he would recommend she plead guilty before getting the report, Ellis said he believes he might be able to challenge the plea if the doctor comes back with certain results that are of sufficient gravity. But Ellis said he doubts the report would be that grave — and he added he might use it to argue that Mahoney should get 15 years in prison — not 30 — when she is sentenced Aug. 22.
Mahoney has been in custody since December, after prosecutors said pornographic videos showing assaults on the girl were found on the computer of a then-32-year-old Texas man. She had been charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child but yesterday pleaded guilty to one count. Mahoney also faces state charges of sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
The federal complaint lodged against Mahoney in January describes an approximately four-minute video streamed over the internet in which the child was lying on her stomach, apparently asleep on a bed. Mahoney then knelt beside the child and sexually abused her, the complaint said.
In another incident described in the complaint, in which Mahoney allegedly recorded iPhone video while the girl was in a bathtub, Mahoney told her to "lean over sweetheart, so I can rinse you." The girl asked "like a mermaid?" and Mahoney replied "like a mermaid, sweetheart." Sexual abuse then ensued, according to the complaint.
When the FBI searched Mahoney’s Manalapan home on Dec. 13, she told agents she had performed oral sex on the child on two occasions in August or September 2011, according to the complaint.
Michael Ward, the head of the FBI’s Newark division, said in January that an investigation of Austin, Texas, resident Robert J. Ramos Jr. helped lead federal authorities to Mahoney.
According to federal authorities and an FBI agent’s affidavit, investigators searched Ramos’ apartment in November and turned up 10 video files depicting a Manalapan woman sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl.
The FBI affidavit also quotes Ramos talking lewdly about Mahoney’s alleged abuse of the child during a Facebook message exchange with a 14-year-old girl he allegedly was trying to entice into internet pornography.
"I wish u had a webcam though, she (Mahoney) is awesome to webcam with," said Ramos, who was posing during the exchange as another 14-year-old named "Emily Elaine Lang," the affidavit said. He allegedly added, "me and her (Mahoney) had a great time" on the webcam.
The affidavit also quoted Mahoney allegedly writing to Ramos "i have tried to give her stuff before. I gave her xanax."
Ramos is charged with production of child pornography and distribution, transmission, receipt and possession of child pornography, according to a federal complaint against him.
The identity of the 5-year-old girl has not been released because she is the victim of sexual assault. Ellis said he did not know how the child is doing mentally or physically at this point.
Source: nj.com