An Eagan man was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for recording a sexually explicit video of a 2-year-old child.
Ellis Scott Tooles, 31, pleaded guilty in May 2017 to one count of producing child pornography, during proceedings in U.S. District Court in Duluth, according to a news release issued by U.S. Attorney Gregory Brooker’s office.
“This defendant is a dangerous predator who ruthlessly sought to harm children,” Brooker said in the release. “Although no amount of prison time will erase the horrific crimes that were committed, the sentence handed down today will hopefully provide some sense of justice for the victims and others impacted by this defendant’s evil acts.”
Tooles admitted to using a cellphone to record and distribute video of a sexually explicit interaction with a 2-year-old wearing a diaper in February 2016, according to the release.
The video was discovered on Tooles’ phone by his friends and members of his family, the news release said. Tooles was arrested in a Duluth on drug charges in June 2016, and he asked his friends and family to use the phone to retrieve contact information for someone who could help Tooles post bail. When they discovered the video, his friends and family turned the phone over to the police.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Susan Richard sentenced Tooles to 15 years of supervised release.