Central Texas man charged with child exploitation after allegedly sending explicit images to federal investigators

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Leonard Newman, of Mart, has been charged with distribution of child pornography, among other offenses, after officials said he sent explicit images of children to federal authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Newman was arrested Sept. 2 at his home in Mart after a search warrant was obtained by the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Unit and Homeland Security Investigations.

While in the home, authorities found Newman in possession of child pornography, some of which he’d been creating with at least two 12-year-old relatives since they were eight-years-old, according to Sheriff Parnell McNamara.

“Newman is the worst of the worst, you don’t get any worse than doing this to your own family,” McNamara told KWTX Sunday. “He is sick, deranged, and pure evil.”

According to the investigators, Newman confessed to sexually abusing four children as well as sending photographs and videos he made to other individuals.

Newman has been charged with sexual performance of a child, distribution of child pornography, two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child and two counts of continuous trafficking of minors.

He remains in the McLennan County with $600,000 bond.

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