GUILTY CA - Michael Lutts for sex abuse, child *advertiser censored*, San Diego, 2014

A pediatric nurse accused of performing sex acts on two infants and videotaping them entered a guilty plea Thursday, the U.S. attorney said.
Michael William Lutts, 50, a former nurse, was arrested last August at his College Grove home and charged with sexual exploitation of a child...

Pictures show the hospital tag was still attached to the boy’s leg, according to a complaint. The FBI says the baby can be heard crying through many of the videos...


Two other men are accused of conspiring with Lutts. A federal indictment says Stephen Schaffner, an ex-counselor, directed Lutts to sexually abuse his foster child and send pictures to him.
Last week, Bartolomeo Baravella was arrested on suspicion of planning to kidnap a baby with Lutts. Baravella has been charged with possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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A San Diego pediatric nurse was sentenced to 80 years in prison for performing sex acts on two newborns and videotaping them. During the sentencing, the judge said the nurse was "the worst of the worst."
Michael William Lutts, 50, a former nurse, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of distribution of child *advertiser censored*. He admitted to 15 instances of photographing or videotaping the infants in "sexually explicit situations at both his home and his work place," the U.S. attorney said.

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Stephen Schaffner of Greensboro, Maryland was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, to 35 years in prison, for the sexual exploitation of a 6 week-old baby boy.


"The victim in this case was a prematurely born, 6 week-old baby...the definition of the most vulnerable victim you could possibly have.

And coupled with - not just the chat, which is among the most, if not the most, horrific chat between offenders that I've ever seen - and Mr. Schaffner directing specific acts of abuse against the minor for his own gratification."


Prior to his arrest, the 34 year-old was a sex offender counselor. Prosecutors say he worked with children and families who were victims of sexual abuse. He was employed as a clinician in Easton for a year and a half.

Schaffner's arrest is part of "Project Safe Childhood," a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

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San Diego FBI agents arrested a man on charges he conspired to kidnap a baby with a pediatric nurse who is accused of molesting his newborn foster child.
Bartolomeo Bavarella, 31, of San Diego, was wanted on federal child *advertiser censored* charges....

When officers executed a federal search warrant at Lutts’ house in August, they said they found sexually explicit images of a two-month-old child produced by Lutts at his house. When they reviewed Lutts' iPhone, they say they found messages between Lutts and Bavarella.

“The messages included direction to Lutts’ residence, as well as plans to kidnap a female child,” the FBI statement said.

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