By Tim Ruzek
truzek@postbulletin.com
A second defendant has pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to a sex videotape featuring two juvenile girls made in the basement of a downtown Austin business.
Joshua David Bollinger, 1802 First St. N.E., No. 121, pleaded guilty this morning in Mower District Court to felony possession of pornographic work involving minors and gross-misdemeanor providing alcohol to a minor.
Bollinger, 26, allegedly was one of four Austin Daily Herald employees who set up a scene in the basement of the business late last year to secretly film sex acts with the two girls, who were 16 at the time. The men no longer are employees of the newspaper.
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Under the terms of a plea agreement, prosecutors will dismiss felony charges of use of a minor in a sexual performance and dissemination of child pornography.
Erik Christian Pehrson, 23, the only one shown on the tape allegedly having sex with one of the girls, pleaded guilty July 28 to felony dissemination of child pornography. He is to be sentenced Nov. 5.
Bollinger is seen on the tape sexually touching the other girl on the outside of her clothes, according to the complaint. Pehrson and Bollinger allegedly helped get the girls intoxicated before bringing them to the Herald, the complaint stated.
Corrections officials found the sex tape in Bollinger's room in late March while searching it for illegal possessions related to his supervised probation.
The nearly 80-minute tape shows all four men preparing and discussing their plan to film from behind a fake wall, the complaint stated. The girls told police they didn't know they were being taped.
Bollinger remains in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 17.
An attorney for Kristopher Joel Cox, 21, another defendant in the case, has said in court that Cox wants to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Cox, who is serving in the military, is set to appear for an omnibus hearing Dec. 10.
Brian Linn Moser, 36, of Albert Lea, the fourth defendant, is scheduled to have a pre-trial hearing Nov. 5. Moser and Cox both are charged with felony use of a minor in a sexual performance, dissemination of child pornography and possession of pornographic work involving minors.
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During today's plea hearing, Bollinger also pleaded guilty in a separate criminal file to possession of a tear-gas component, which was amended from a felony to a gross misdemeanor. He allegedly had a small can of pepper spray Sept. 13 in Austin, the complaint stated. He wasn't supposed to possess a tear-gas component due to a previous terroristic-threats conviction.
