Maryland school aide pleads innocent in child porn, abuse case

GREENBELT, Md. -- A volunteer school aide accused of shooting videos of children having sex with him and each other has pleaded innocent to 13 counts of producing child pornography.

Twenty-two-year-old Deonte Carraway entered the pleas in federal court in Greenbelt on Friday after a grand jury indicted him on 13 federal counts of sexually exploiting minors and producing child porn.

Carraway's public defender, John Chamble, declined to comment on Friday. Carraway could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

The alleged abuser was an aide at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School in Glenarden, a Washington suburb when, federal prosecutors say, he made sexually explicit videos of 11 children ranging in age from 9 to 12. According to the station, police have identified at least 17 victims. Carraway was being held on $1 million bond.

Police say some of the videos were made on school grounds. According to CBS Baltimore, authorities said abuse also took place in Zion Praise Tabernacle Church, where he directed the youth choir, and at a community center.

Parents of victims have alleged in lawsuits that the school's principal was warned about Carraway's conduct and did nothing.

"I don't know what to say. I'm still in shock," a mother of one of his alleged victims told CBS Baltimore.

Carraway spoke few words during the hearing, mostly answering the judge with a "yes sir."

But in court documents obtained by the station, Carraway tells investigators: "I know it was wrong, I'm a bad person. I'm not a child of God for doing this; I know I'm grown."

Investigators found 38 videos on Carraway's phone, according to the station.

"I'm just glad he's locked away and he's not hurting these babies any more. That's the only thing I can say," one of the alleged victims' mothers said.

Four civil lawsuits have been filed against Carraway, the school system and the city of Glenarden.