Navy vet, nicknamed “Porno Pete”, says PTSD drove him to child pornography

A former State Department security specialist was sentenced to six years in prison on Monday after admitting he downloaded child pornography.

Pete Meyers, who was nicknamed “Porno Pete” due to his extensive collection of pornography, used to work on Navy submarines.

According to Jonathan Friedman, who represented Meyers in the case, Meyers started downloading child pornography after developing post-traumatic stress disorder while working for the government.

Friedman told the judge that the child pornography Meyers had in his possession accounted for “less than a 1/2 or 1/4 percent” of his entire pornography collection.

“Mr. Meyers is someone who has always been interested in pornography,” Friedman said. “But his primary interest is not in child pornography.”

Before his arrest, Meyers had a great reputation during his 23 years in the Navy and his 12 years in the State Department.

Meyers, who fought in the Gulf War, provided security expertise for the U.S. government at embassies and other foreign posts.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Myers’ lawyer did not provide any information about what triggered his client’s PTSD, but a defense expert submitted a report to the judge that confirmed that Meyers was diagnosed with PTSD.

Friedman said his client held “one of the highest security clearances” offered by the U.S. government and found ways to protect American embassies overseas.

According to Friedman, Meyers, who was accompanied by six supporters, was too nervous to speak on his behalf at the sentencing. The only time he spoke was when he was being addressed by the judge.

Meyers’ adopted daughters wrote glowing letters of support on his behalf. They said he changed their lives for the better and was a supportive and caring father. Some of his former colleagues also wrote letters of support on his behalf.

While federal prosecutors and the defense recommended Meyers be sentenced to five years in prison, U.S. District Judge William Zloch sentenced him to six years and questioned how PTSD led Meyers to download and view child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Koontz told Zloch that Meyers deserved credit for his service to the country, but his actions while working for the government are a breach of trust.

According to court records, Meyers was arrested after he was caught downloading and sharing child pornography online.

Prosecutors wanted the judge to put Meyers in custody after the sentencing because they were concerned about what he might do to himself after learning how long he will be imprisoned.

The judge agreed to let Meyers turn himself in to begin serving his sentence by January 8, 2016.

In addition to his prison sentence, Meyers was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and has to register as a sex offender.

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