Texas Preschool Teacher Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Pornography

Mark Penfield Eichorn, a former preschool teacher in Abilene, Texas, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography after admitting to paying two boys, aged 12 and 13, to record sexually explicit videos of themselves. Eichorn, who continued working with children despite acknowledging his predatory desires since 2019, also participated in online child pornography trading groups and paid victims hundreds of dollars for the illicit material. At the time of his arrest, he was employed at a private school and had offered one victim weekly payments to be his 'Sugar Daddy.' The statutory maximum sentence was imposed by Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who cited public protection as a key factor in the decision. Eichorn was also ordered to pay over $66,000 in restitution to the victims. Prosecutors and law enforcement emphasized the significance of the sentence as a deterrent and a step toward justice for the victims.