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Ex-DCF Flack Is Guilty

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI

esilvestrini@tampatrib.com

Published: January 22, 2009

TAMPA - Once the public face of the state agency assigned to protect children, Al Zimmerman admitted in federal court Wednesday that he victimized teens by using them in child pornography.

Zimmerman, 41, the former spokesman for the Department of Children & Families and a former Bay News 9 reporter, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years behind bars.

His guilty plea means he will be a registered sex offender and could be ordered to serve as much as life on probation after his time in prison.

Zimmerman tried to get U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew to hint at the punishment he might receive when he is sentenced April 23, referring to the report prepared by a probation officer that details how sentencing guidelines apply.

"Do you tend to stick to those guidelines?" Zimmerman asked.

"You're asking me what kind of sentence I'll impose," Bucklew said. "I'm not going to share that."

"I won't tell you what your sentence is going to be; neither can your attorney," she said.

"He couldn't," Zimmerman said. "That's why I was asking you."

The only way Zimmerman can avoid the minimum mandatory term is to persuade the government to ask for a sentence reduction in return for his "substantial assistance." Typically, prosecutors make such motions only when defendants help make cases against other defendants.

Zimmerman, who had been scheduled to stand trial Monday, was arrested in February and accused of making sexually explicit photos and videos of two 16-year-old boys. Authorities said he met one of the boys through his job with DCF.

More recently, federal prosecutors said investigators had identified five more victims. A new indictment was handed up, adding charges of receiving child porn, possessing child porn and obstruction of justice.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will dismiss those charges.

The plea did not specify the number of victims.

A prosecutor has said Zimmerman often used his work computer to correspond by e-mail with the first two victims identified.

Zimmerman first told authorities he did not know they were underage.

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