Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Capt. Mark Wygant pleads guilty to child porn charge

Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Captain Mark McLeod Wygant, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court today to transportation of child pornography.

Following an FBI and SLT Police Department investigation, Wygant was a
arrested on Jan. 29 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He had been immediately placed on administration leave but resigned just days after his arrest.

"I am pleased that Mr. Wygant plead guilty to his crime and the punishment will now in the hands of the criminal justice system," said SLT Fire Chief Jeff Meston.

When South Lake Tahoe city officials first received an internal tip of a potential crime regarding a city employee, the city worked aggressively and collaboratively with federal and local law enforcement agencies to fully investigate the allegations, said SLT City Manager Nancy Kerry at the time of Wygant's arrest.

According to court documents, from early 2011 to early 2012, Wygant surreptitiously filmed a child on numerous occasions using a hidden cellphone and hidden “spy cameras” that he had purchased for that purpose. He then transported those videos and photos from a location in Butte County to South Lake Tahoe.

While Wygant was employed in South Lake Tahoe he lived in Chico, Calif.

Wygant possessed a flash drive containing more than 5,000 images of child pornography along with more than 50 video files that depicted children nude and engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts, the affidavit states. The allegations included possession and production of child pornography material depicting several girls, ranging from 4 to 13 years old at the time of filming.

Several of the videos appeared to be of a known female minor, who had met with South Lake Tahoe police detectives at the time, according to the affidavit. She would have been about 12 years old in 2011, when the videos are believed to have been made. The videos depict the girl getting out of the shower, and allegedly show Wygant placing and concealing the recording device in a bathroom.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Morris is prosecuting the case.

He was originally charged with Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Minors and faced 30 years in prison. Wygant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on March 3, 2017. Wygant now faces a minimum of five years and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.