A former Delaware firefighter is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.
Thomas Neuberger, an attorney for Joseph J. Leonetti Jr., told a judge at a plea hearing Wednesday that job-related post-traumatic stress disorder caused Leonetti to fall into pornography “as a way of self-medicating,” the News Journal reported.
Leonetti, who is a former Wilmington Fire Department Union President, told the judge he was taking medicine to help treat his PTSD.
A prosecutor said Leonetti had access to thousands of child pornography images and videos on his iPhone, including through links. An attorney for Leonetti disputed the number.
He will remain under house arrest until his sentencing, which is scheduled for August, the newspaper reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this article