A Tale of Two Journo Kiddie Porn Convictions

So the Associated Press says that former D.C.-based FOX News producer Aaron Bruns got sentenced to 10 years in prison today for possession of child pornography, while just a few days before, former NPR science editor David Malakoff basically walked on the same charge, getting only five years probation. What was the difference between these two men? Bruns had a prior kiddie porn conviction from about ten years ago, when he was a college student in Michigan, while Malakoff had no previous record. Malakoff also testified that he had watched the videos in order to relive his own rape, which he said he experienced when he was 9 years-old, and the judge in his case obviously believed his story. Still, that's a pretty big disparity as far as sentencing goes. Without U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle's intervention, Malakoff would have been given six to eight years based on federal guidelines.