'Filled with shame': Court hears from former construction exec guilty of child porn charges.

Byline: Michaela Paukner, mpaukner@wislawjournal.com

The former Milwaukee construction executive Brian Ganos told a judge he was "filled with shame" at his sentencing hearing for two federal child-pornography charges.

Ganos, who used to own Sonag Construction,had asentencing hearing over the phone in federal court on Friday morning. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography in February in exchange for the court's dropping a third charge.

JudgeJ. P. Stadtmuellerrecessed the court somewhat abruptly on Friday without sentencing Ganos for his crimes.The maximum penalty for his crimes includesup to 87 months in prison, life on supervised releaseand a $200,000 fine.

"I'm filled with shame," Ganos told Stadtmueller at the beginning of the hearing. "I offer my heartfelt apologies for having these images."

Megan Paulson, the government's attorney, asked Stadtmueller to impose a 76-month prison sentence on Ganos to follow thesix-and-a-half years he's already serving for a decades-long, multi-million construction contract fraud scheme.

Paulsonasked the court to consider the graphic nature of the pornography, the effect it has on the victims and the timing of the crime. She said the prosecution learned from witnesses that Ganos had a history ofviewing child porn.

"I believe somebody like Mr. Ganos would, given the opportunity, would defer to an hands-on offense," Paulson said. "He's a financial fraud and...

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