A motivational speaker who's made numerous appearances on national television has pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge and faces five to 20 years in prison, a federal prosecutor said Monday.
Michael V. Fortino, of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of transporting child pornography across state lines.
Fortino admitted that, while traveling for his work as an author and speaker, he brought his laptop computer to Fayetteville for a speaking engagement Nov. 4, 2005. The computer contained images of child pornography that Fortino admitted were previously downloaded from the Internet.
Police in Fayetteville previously said they found child pornography on the laptop when Fortino took the computer to a store for repairs. Police said more than 1,000 pornographic images involving children were found on the laptop.
Fortino is president and founder of The Center for Lifestyle Management, and has offices in New York and San Francisco. Fortino has been featured on all the major television networks, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Fortino faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervision.
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