MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 24-year-old Hastings man could face up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to producing child pornography, the Department of Justice said.
In his plea agreement, Mark Matthew Cortes admitted that in November of 2011 he persuaded a child, reported to be 5 years old at the time of the crime, to engage in sex acts, which he recorded on his cell phone. He admitted to putting those images on his computer and sending them to another person.
Moreover, Cortes also admitted to committing sex acts with the victim.
Cortes – and his wife, 24-year-old Amanda Hughes – were originally charged last October with multiple counts related to child pornography. Cortes then faced three felonies.
He pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count: that of producing child pornography. A date for his sentencing has yet to be set.
His wife pleaded guilty on March 1, 2013, to possessing child porn and endangering the victim. She was sentenced 180 days in jail and to five years of probation.
