'Noodles the Clown' Sentenced To More Than 17 Years In Prison For Child Porn
 

'Noodles the Clown' Sentenced To More Than 17 Years In Prison
43-Year-Old Pleaded Guilty To Child Porn Charges In October

POSTED: 7:37 AM EST January 22, 2004

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A federal judge called a former clown and Sunday school teacher the most dangerous kind of pedophile when he sentenced him Wednesday to 17 1/2 years in prison.

David Deyo, 43, of Jupiter, had pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in October.

Deyo, once known as "Noodles the Clown," was a former volunteer at First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach. At least twice he befriended a single mother, gained her confidence and then molested her daughter, prosecutors said in arguing for the longest possible prison term.

Deyo also downloaded more than 100 pornographic pictures of underage girls.

District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurled called Deyo the most dangerous kind of pedophile because of the "surrogate father" role he took with the vulnerable girls, who were 8 and 10 years old at the time of the incidents.

"That combination ... makes him enormously dangerous," Hurled said.

The judge also sentenced Deyo to three years probation, The Palm Beach Post reported.

"I am truly remorseful," Deyo said. "To fall from grace is not an enlightening experience. I realize what I've done and I know that my path has changed significantly."

Deyo was arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown on Internet child pornography called "Operation Candyman."