By Paula McMahon
Sun Sentinel
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — A former paramedic from Coral Springs pleaded guilty on Monday to federal charges that he lured young girls into having online sexual contact with him and produced child pornography by using his webcam to videotape the encounters.
Shane Braslow, 24, was arrested after what police called a brazen daytime attempt to kidnap a 44-year-old Coral Springs woman during a morning jog in the city two years ago this week.
Federal agents got a search warrant and found video on his computer that showed him engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with two young girls who appeared to be about 7 years old, according to court records.
One of the videos — which was filmed late on Jan. 4, 2012, and lasted close to 8 minutes — was a recording of a webcam chat that showed Braslow semi-naked and masturbating while typing instructions to the two underage girls.
In response to Braslow’s typing, the girls both exposed their chests and were heard saying “eew” and “he’s peeing” after he ejaculated.
The second video, which lasted a little more than 9 minutes, was recorded shortly after and showed Braslow chatting online with the same two girls, suggesting they pull down their pants.
The two girls exposed their genital areas to the camera and Braslow apparently asked if he could “see it close up” and encouraged one of them to touch herself, which she did briefly, according to court records.
Investigators said they found many more webcam videos of Braslow engaged in similar conduct with other girls or young women, but it was unclear if they were under 18 or if they knew he was recording them.
Braslow used computer software to record the online chats so they could be viewed later, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
Braslow has been locked up on the federal charges since January 2013. The state revoked his licenses to practice as a paramedic and emergency medical technician because of the charges.
He is scheduled for sentencing July 11 in federal court in Miami.
The charge of producing child pornography carries a penalty of between 15 and 30 years in federal prison and the two counts of using a computer to entice a child into engaging in sexual activity each carry a punishment of 10 years to life behind bars.
Braslow is also still facing state prosecution in Broward County for the alleged abduction attempt of the jogger.
In that case, police said Braslow drove up beside the woman while she was jogging in the 8900 block of Forest Hills Boulevard. He took photographs of her and told her he was going to post them online, investigators said.
The woman ran off but Braslow looped around, hid behind some bushes, jumped out and tried to drag her into his car, she said. She managed to fight him off and reported the incident — with a partial license plate number — to police, who arrested Braslow.