Joseph Marcus spent five years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

"It was merely weeks, if not less, before he was back doing it again," according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Stephan.

The 52-year-old Wilson Borough man was sent back to federal prison Monday for 15 years, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Philadelphia.

Marcus posted a video of child pornography on May 31, and police found a second video on his computer on Oct. 26. That video depicted a girl between the ages of 5 and 7 being sexually abused. Marcus pleaded guilty to two child pornography-related crimes.

"Marcus has demonstrated that he cannot resist his urges to watch young children be sexually exploited for his own sexual gratification," Stephan wrote in her sentencing memorandum. She later added, "each time he downloaded and saved an image of one of the worst days of a child's life he re-victimized that child."

According to Stephan, Marcus had a photography business, a family and was active in his church despite his crimes.

"He has spent the past 10 years either exploiting children or being incarcerated for it," she wrote. "He had demonstrated that not even being caught, convicted, punished, incarcerated, supervised, and counseled would deter him from the urge to exploit children again."

Marcus' attorneys didn't respond to emails seeking comment.

Marcus was sentenced to six years in federal prison on Feb. 18, 2009, for possessing child pornography. Police said he had 52 photos and six videos of child pornography in 2004 and 2005. Most of them depicted adult men molesting young girls ranging from 2 to 4 years old.

Marcus was granted early release from prison on May 9, 2014, federal court records say. He was ordered to participate in sex offender treatment as a condition of his release.

Marcus was a professional photographer and one-time business leader, formerly chairing the small business council of the now defunct Two Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a freelance photographer who formerly sold photos to The Express-Times.

Stephan asked for a 15-year sentence. Marcus was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery Schmehl.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.