December 19, 2012 - 12:06 AM
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The founder of a Texas cargo airline is set to be sentenced on federal child pornography charges.
Robert L. Hedrick was convicted May 21 of three federal counts. The 61-year-old founder of Pan American Airlines was accused by prosecutors of having explicit chats with undercover officers posing as young teenage girls.
He's scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday morning in South Texas.
Hedrick was arrested last year after Wisconsin and Louisiana authorities traced chats to an online account registered to him. Investigators said they later found he had saved 2,400 pornographic images.
Hedrick has maintained his innocence.
He faces up to 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography. He was also convicted of transfer of obscene materials to a minor and attempted sexual exploitation of children.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012