SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A College-area man was charged in federal court Wednesday with sexually exploiting a child after FBI agents found videos and photographs of him repeatedly molesting a 2-month-old foster baby placed in his care.
Michael William Lutts, 50, pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail pending a detention hearing Friday.
The defendant, who works as a pediatric nurse, was arrested Tuesday after agents served a search warrant at his home.
According to a criminal complaint, the FBI in April executed a search warrant on an email address owned by a person who was distributing child pornography images.
A review of the email account identified Lutts as an account that had sent child pornography to it, according to the complaint.
Further investigation revealed Lutts was a foster parent and three weeks ago, a 2-month-old foster baby, who was born prematurely, was placed in his home.
In searching Lutts' home, FBI agents seized a cell phone that allegedly contained numerous images and videos of the defendant sexually molesting the baby placed in his care.
The illegal images appeared to be taken in Lutts' home, starting Aug. 4 -- the first day he had custody of the infant.