A former preschool teacher’s assistant is set to admit guilt to a federal charge of producing child pornography on Tuesday at the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas, located in Abilene.
Mark Penfield Eichorn has given up his right to a trial and acknowledged in court documents last week that he knowingly paid two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
Eichorn could be looking at a prison sentence of 15 to 30 years along with monetary fines. He is set to be rearraigned on Tuesday in federal court in Abilene, where he will await sentencing after pleading guilty.
Eichorn was formerly employed at St. John’s Episcopal School in Abilene.
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On October 22, 2023, Eichorn is set to plead guilty to an incident where he reportedly sent $200 via Venmo to two boys, aged 12 and 13 at the time, to create a sexually explicit video on Snapchat, as stated in court documents.
In April 2024, the Abilene Police Department received a tip from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in Cummings, Georgia. This followed interviews with the children and the recovery of video from the phone used, which reportedly connected Eichorn to the crime.
In May 2024, APD detectives spoke with Eichorn at his workplace, where he reportedly acknowledged being aware of the children’s ages and directed them to create the video for payment, as stated in court documents.
Eichorn has been indicted by the grand jury on Sept. 12, facing two felony charges in Taylor County. He faced charges related to the possession and promotion of child pornography.
Eichorn is also dealing with an additional felony charge related to indecency with a child, as stated in court documents from Taylor County.