PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A woman from Portage has been sentenced to a federal penitentiary for taking photos of a child in a shower and sharing them with others.
29-year-old Rachel Burrell pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. In exchange, more serious charges were dropped.
Her attorney argued that Burrell was manipulated by Mathew Toole of Battle Creek, who was the central hub of a kiddie porn ring that spanned Branch, Calhoun and Kalamazoo Counties.
Judge Robert Jonker says he agreed that she didn’t appear to be a sexual deviant and gave her a 15-year sentence, rather than the 30-year term called for by sentencing guidelines.
