Hampton Roads, Va. - Shaniesta Banks, Nina Calderon and Sierra Halsey were all sentenced to 15 years in prison as part of an elaborate child porn scheme in Hampton Roads.
But their sentence is actually half of what it could have been.
All three admitted to producing child pornography; a crime described by prosecutors as “heinous.” It's one that carries a 30-year maximum prison sentence.
According to federal court documents, the women were part of a much larger investigation that began July of 2013 with the arrest of Chesapeake mom Kanealeen Latouche.
Latouche pleaded guilty to several charges but hasn't been sentenced yet.
Court records show Latouche's separated husband started snooping through her emails and found out she was making dirty videos with their toddlers, all for money.
Not long after that, federal agents indicted Banks, Calderon, Halsey and Shavonna Whitfield who all pleaded guilty to producing child pornography.
Prosecutors say there were 7 child victims in total - the oldest being five, the youngest just one-year-old.
But the women didn’t work alone.
Robert Scott Jr. was convicted for running the operation and using the Internet to reel in the cash-strapped moms.
Scott faces life in prison and is expected to be sentenced in November.
Whitfield is expected to go before a federal judge in December. Like Banks, Calderon and Halsey, Whitfield faces 15 to 30 years in prison.
A spokesperson with the Norfolk U.S. Attorney’s Office says the judge's decision generally relies heavily on a pre-sentence report detailing a defendant’s criminal and personal history.
