Roger M. Smith - 30 year sentence for doping little girls and sexually assaulting them - with the help of their mother

Smith, overcome by tears, had his attorney, William Jones, read Crabb a letter in which he apologized for what he'd done and begged for mercy for Wheaton.

"Because of what I did, I lost everything I loved and cared for," the letter said. "My prison is within me in my head and heart."

An Iowa County man was sentenced Friday in federal court to 30 years in prison in connection with having sex with twin 6-old year old girls while their mother photographed them.

Roger M. Smith, 37, of the town of Hollandale, later distributed some of the photos in Internet chat rooms. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to making and possessing child pornography.

In court on Friday, Smith was emotionally unable to read a prepared statement and handed it to his attorney William Jones who said Smith was sorry for causing co-defendant Carrie Wheaton, 30, of central Illinois, to lose her two girls and newborn son to child protection services.

Wheaton was pregnant when she pleaded guilty to similar charges in July, but it wasn't made clear in court if Wheaton, who is to be sentenced on Sept. 23, has given birth.

Jones continued Smith's statement saying Smith regretted not getting the help he needed for his problem and asked District Judge Barbara Crabb to impose the minimum sentence on Wheaton.

Jones asked Crabb for the 15-year minimum sentence saying federal guidelines contemplate worst conduct for the maximum punishment of 30 years then having sexual contact with sleeping girls. Jones also said Smith was cooperative with authorities and remorseful.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim O'Shea asked Crabb to impose 30 years saying the photos of Smith and the girls taken in November and February weren't isolated incidents as Smith previously sought out young women with small children.

Wheaton was "vulnerable, pliable," and with two small children, a person Smith could use "as sexual objects," O'Shea told Crabb.

Crabb agreed that Smith deserved the 30-year statutory maximum penalty couple with lifetime probation for his crime.

"For most of us it's the worst thing we can imagine," she said.

Because the girls were drowsy or asleep while Smith had sexual contact with them, they "probably never knew what happened, due to the cough syrup (Wheaton gave them) but someday they will know," she said.

Instead of being a guardian or protector of the girls', Smith exploited them for his own desires, which might cause the girls to never trust authority figures, said Crabb.

After court, O'Shea declined to say if he would recommend the maximum sentence for Wheaton.

Smith's home was searched after state authorities obtained a search warrant after Smith was investigated for exposing a child to sexual activity over the Internet.

During a Feb. 28 search, 23 images of the girls engaged in sexually explicit activity were found on a memory card recovered from Smith's bedroom. A second memory card with an unspecified number of sexually explicit photos apparently taken on Feb. 2 also was recovered from Smith's bedroom on Feb. 28. All the photos were taken at Wheaton's Illinois home and then transported to Wisconsin, said O'Shea.