Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Capt. Mark Wygant sentenced to 10 years in prison

Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Captain Mark McLeod Wygant was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 10 years in prison for transportation of child pornography

Wygant, 46, plead guilty in December.

Following an FBI and SLT Police Department investigation, Wygant was a

arrested on Jan. 29 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He had been immediately placed on administration leave but resigned just days after his arrest.

Wygant lived in Chico, Calif., but worked in South Lake Tahoe.

According to court documents, from early 2011 to early 2012, Wygant surreptitiously filmed a child on numerous occasions using a hidden cellphone and hidden “spy cameras” that he had purchased for that purpose. He then transported those videos and photos from a location in Butte County to a fire station in South Lake Tahoe. The charges do not relate to any conduct committed during the course of his interaction with the public during his job duties.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Morris prosecuted the case.

He was originally charged with Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Minors and faced 30 years in prison prior to his pleading guilty to the lesser charge.