A former Oak Harbor school resource officer who exchanged sexually explicit images with five minors — and possessed dozens of child-porn videos on his smartphone — is facing time in federal prison.
John Little pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court March 8 to a single count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 9.
Little was working as a patrol officer when FBI agents arrested him at the Oak Harbor Police Department.
Little worked as the resource officer at Oak Harbor High School from 1998 to 2004 and filled in on a temporary basis in 2008, according to Oak Harbor police records.
The 27-year veteran of the department voluntarily separated Aug. 23, said Oak Harbor Police Chief Kevin Dresker.
The plea agreement with Little lays out the facts of the case as agreed upon by both the prosecution and defense.
In March 2016, Little engaged in a series of sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old girl using an Internet messaging application.
In some of the conservations, Little persuaded the girl to commit sexual acts and to sent him photos of her doing so.
Little also engaged in similar sexually explicit chats, as well as image and video exchanges, with four other children in 2016.
Federal agents discovered at least 57 child-porn videos on Little’s phone.
The videos on Little’s phone included depictions of children under the age of 12.
A separate FBI report includes other details of the crime. It states that Little also sent the girl images of his penis and face; Little admitted that he was “at work” during another explicit exhange with a minor.
Federal agents and the Justice Department decided to pursue the case in federal court, as opposed to state court, because they were especially concerned that Little was a police officer and former school resource officer, according to Emily Langlie, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defense and the U.S. Probation Office will submit sentence recommendations to the court prior to the sentencing hearing.
Little will have to register as a sex offender and will have to complete sexual deviancy treatment.
