George Nader, a key witness in the Russian interference investigation of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, faces new charges in his unrelated child pornography case.
The defendant allegedly flew a 14-year-old boy from Europe to the United States for sexual abuse.
According to prosecutors, Nader’s criminal case turned up as a result of his involvement in the Russia probe. Investigators found him at Dulles International Airport in January 2018 to talk to him about his work on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign; they seized Nader’s electronic devices. They said he allegedly possessed 12 videos showing minors in sex acts.
They have gone on to say that videos depicted children as young as 3, and that some of the footage was sent from his phone to others. He was already fighting the allegation, and has pleaded not guilty to the new charges on Friday.
Nader allegedly later fled the country to the United Arab Emirates, but was arrested after he returned to the United States — he claimed, for medical treatment. Nader was denied bond.
The defendant pleaded guilty in 1991 in a Virginia federal court to transporting sexually explicit materials in foreign commerce. He was sentenced to six months behind bars. Nader was also sentenced to one year in a Czech Republic prison over charges of sexually abusing minors.
[Screengrab via CSPAN]