Former Fairfax County Firefighter and Paramedic Sentenced in Child Porn Case

A former Fairfax County firefighter and paramedic who produced child pornography by screen-capturing online video chats has been sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison.

Andrew Choi, 35, pleaded guilty in September to production of child pornography. Investigators found on his computer about 600 videos of boys performing sex acts on camera, according to The Washington Post, which cited court records.

Choi, of Springfield, resigned from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, where he had worked since 2005, in January 2013, Dan Schmidt, a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue spokesman, told the paper. He was charged in the child pornography case a few months later, court records show.

Choi wrote in a letter to the judge in federal district court in Alexandria that he was “remorseful” for his actions and was “committed to addressing the root of my issues.” He wrote that he struggled with emotional problems and had been receiving therapy, the Post reported.

“I know that what I have done can’t be undone especially for my victims and their families,” Choi wrote. “I wanted to say that I am sorry, and that I accept full responsibility for my actions, and ask that you consider me a man who made some bad decisions in the past, but who recognizes this and has a strong commitment to change.”