Bay Area babysitter pleads guilty to child pornography conspiracy

An Aptos man who worked as a babysitter for several families and as a camp counselor in Santa Cruz pleaded guilty to a slew of child pornography charges, the FBI announced Thursday. An Aptos man who worked as a babysitter for several families and as a camp counselor in Santa Cruz pleaded guilty to a slew of child pornography charges, the FBI announced Thursday. Photo: KSBW Photo: KSBW Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Bay Area babysitter pleads guilty to child pornography conspiracy 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

An Aptos man who worked as a babysitter for several families and as a camp counselor in Santa Cruz pleaded guilty to a slew of child pornography charges, the FBI announced Thursday.

Ryan Michael Spencer pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of production of child pornography, conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and felony contempt of court, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and FBI Agent John Bennett.

Spencer, 21, admitted that he produced pornographic images of more than a dozen children with whom he came into contact through his jobs.

Spencer was employed by Santa Cruz County as an after school instructional aid at Mar Vista Elementary School, and as a cabin leader for Outdoor Science School. He was enrolled in Cabrillo College's early education program with hopes of becoming an elementary school teacher. And he babysat for several Aptos families.

One image depicted Spencer molesting a child that he was babysitting.

(Warning, graphic and disturbing content: Read FBI criminal complaints against Ryan Spencer and Bryan Petersen)

Spencer also created child pornography images by surreptitiously photographing children while they were naked and in his care.

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"Spencer admitted that, beginning no later than March 2015 and continuing until his arrest in April 2017, he conspired with his co-defendant, Tiburon-area babysitter Bryan Petersen, to trade the child pornography," federal prosecutors said.

Petersen worked as a chess coach, tutor, and led overnight camping trips for young boys.

Spencer admitted that he and Petersen shared child pornography using the Kik Messenger app and that, in the spring of 2016, he filled a hard drive with more than 30,000 images and videos of child pornography and gave it to Petersen.

The two men also conspired to distribute and receive child pornography from other sources. They were indicted by a federal Grand Jury on May 11, 2017.

Petersen, 27, was arrested first, and he provided FBI agents with information that led them to Aptos, the FBI said. He pleaded guilty in 2017 and is awaiting sentencing.

Under a plea agreement, Spencer pled guilty to all counts and agreed to a possible prison sentence of 30 years. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 20, 2019.