Former West Branch day care worker pleads guilty to distributing child porn

A former West Branch Day Care Center worker pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to distributing child pornography and faces five to 20 years in prison.

Brady Verlo, 22, admitted in court to distributing images of child pornography over the Internet between June and December 2013. According to his plea agreement, he possessed over 20,000 images and over 900 videos of child pornography.

He was initially charged in Johnson County District Court for six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor but those charges were dismissed and the case was moved to federal court.

He was also charged with receipt of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography but those will be dismissed at sentencing as part of the plea deal.

Verlo, who was on pretrial release, will now be detained pending sentencing, U.S. Magistrate Jon Scoles ruled. The distribution charge requires mandatory detention, unless there are 'exceptional” circumstances.

Al Willett, Verlo's attorney, asked for his client to remain on release because he was in mental health counseling and his counselor thought he would continue to benefit from therapy. Willett also said Verlo was remorseful for his activities.

Scoles said Verlo receiving counseling and being remorseful didn't meet exceptional circumstances to warrant pretrial release under this conviction.