The State Journal Register reports a Pleasant Hill man has been sentenced to prison for forcing a child to engage in sexual acts while he filmed them.
37-year-old Anthony Westermeyer was sentenced last Wednesday by US District Judge Colleen Lawless to 30 years in prison.
The government claimed Westermeyer used threats of violence against the child to force the acts. The US Attorney’s office claimed Westermeyer paid the men, including two co-defendants in the case, for their participation. But, he admitted that some men did not know they were being filmed.
Westermeyer is accused of giving meth to the men, and the child.
The court said the child was in Westermeyer’s custody, care or supervisory control. That added length to the sentence.
Westermeyer pleaded guilty last July, and has been held since.
Assistant US attorney Sarah Seberger applauded the victim’s resilience and courage through the prosecution.