Federal judge hands out five-year sentence in obscenity case

Sanford Wasserman, 65, maintained his innocence and told the judge that he resented being made a “poster child” for a Bush Administration “crusade” against pornography.

Wasserman pleaded guilty earlier this year under an agreement that allows him some appeal rights. He later tried to withdraw the plea but was turned down by the judge.

Prosecutors said Wasserman conspired with Thomas Lambert of Montana to distribute obscene videos. In court records, prosecutors characterized some of the tapes, which were available through mail-order catalogues, as depicting bestiality and violent sex.

Lambert pleaded guilty and was sentenced in June to 2 1/2 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Bill Mercer called Wasserman the “king pin” in a distribution business and argued for a longer sentence than Lambert’s to act as a deterrent. He said Wasserman’s five-year sentence may be one of the stiffest imposed in a recent obscenity case.

Wasserman assailed his attorney at Friday’s hearing as ineffective, and the judge said he would appoint a new attorney to preserve Wasserman’s right to appeals.

Prosecuting obscenity cases has been a priority for the Justice Department since 2001 under the Bush Administration. Dozens of people and businesses have been convicted or indicted in such cases.

In an interview in September, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he has encouraged federal prosecutors and the FBI to focus on obscenity cases. He said he’s just doing his job and addressing concerns raised in Congress.